PRESIDENCY, APC GOVERNORS DRAW BATTLE LINES ON ODIGIE-OYEGUN
PRESIDENCY, APC GOVERNORS DRAW BATTLE LINES ON ODIGIE-OYEGUN
APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun
The Presidency and governors of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) are asking what must be done with the party’s National Chairman,
John Odigie-Oyegun.There are pointers a verdict on the Edo chief would not be
easy.The crises threatening to tear the party apart look set to be the major
agenda at tomorrow’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.The meeting,
the third to be convened since the APC came into power, will follow today’s caucus
deliberations at the Presidential Villa, to be chaired by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
The NEC meeting will be a decisive session, as there may be
calls for the sacking of the Oyegun-led National Working Committee (NWC), even
before the expiration of its tenure in April.The recent decision by Buhari to
appoint former Lagos State governor and National Leader, Bola Tinubu, to
reconcile warring members is already ruffling feathers.The move has been seen
in certain quarters as the equivalent of a vote of no confidence in the NWC,
and some state governors at the heart of the crises are not ready to take it
lying down.
There are speculations that the Presidency would need the
political clout of Tinubu for its 2019 election outing and may therefore
abandon Oyegun.If this works, there are suggestions former Edo State Governor
Adams Oshiomhole may assume the vacant position.Oshiomhole, alongside his
successor Godwin Obaseki, had met with Buhari behind closed doors at the Aso
Rock Villa, recently.
Tinubu in a letter last week had accused Oyegun of
frustrating his reconciliatory efforts in Kogi, Kaduna and Adamawa States. The
governors, however, came together and passed a vote of confidence in the
chairman and his team.Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, who spoke on behalf
of his colleagues at the Presidential Villa, maintained that Oyegun has the
wherewithal to reconcile the party’s warring groups.
Bello, who is having a running battle with the Hadi
Ametou-led party executives in his state, has an axe to grind with Tinubu over
his support for James Faleke. Faleke, was the running mate to the late Abubakar
Audu, who died shortly before the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) declared him winner of the November 2015 election in the state. The
Oyegun-led APC in controversial circumstances had chosen Bello who was
runner-up in the governorship primaries as candidate, ahead of Faleke.
Bello, who is among the governors urging Buhari to seek a
second term in office, said: “We the governors and the majority of APC members
have confidence in our National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. We also
believe in the President’s appointment of Bola Tinubu, our leader, to reconcile
some aggrieved members. However, one size fits all will not work in all states
where some erring members need to be disciplined.”
Bello was flanked by Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State
who is at war with a faction of the Kaduna chapter of the party led by Senator
Shehu Sani and Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State who is equally estranged
from his predecessor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and supporters.
Tinubu in the letter dated February 21 which was copied the
President, Vice President, Senate President and Speaker of the House of
Representatives, had accused Oyegun of taking unilateral decisions at resolving
the crises in Kogi, Kaduna and Adamawa States.Oyegun, who also incurred the
wrath of Tinubu over his role in the emergence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of
Ondo State, had also received an endorsement by the Adamawa State House of
Assembly and South South leaders, led by Chief John Harry.
Deputy National Publicity Secretary Timi Frank, however,
insists Tinubu remains the man who can solve the party’s troubles and
reiterated his call for the sacking of Oyegun.He said: “I know that it is too
late. If they had listened to me much earlier when I was the only voice in the
wilderness and had appointed someone like Tinubu, a year ago, maybe the likes
of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar wouldn’t have left the ruling party.
“There is no doubt that Tinubu is the right person to do
this job of reconciliation. But unfortunately, he cannot do magic because it’s
already late and nothing will come out of it. Some people might not like this
truth, but I will continue to say it.“It is glaring that all what Tinubu is
expected to repair now were caused by Oyegun’s indecision, which I loudly spoke
about. When I demanded his resignation, some people felt I was being sponsored.
But today, I have been vindicated because all eyes can see clearly what
Oyegun’s style of leadership has done to the ruling party. At this level, if
care is not taken, APC might soon become history.”
The party’s factional leader in Kaduna, Senator Suleiman
Hunkuyi, meanwhile, has warned that a letter by the National Secretary
requesting the El-Rufai faction to attend the NEC meeting would worsen the
crisis in the state.He raised the alarm when he received some members of the
NWC, led by Comrade Segun Oni, who were on a fact-finding mission to his house,
which was demolished by the state government last week.
“The fact of the matter remains; where there is an arbiter
between two disagreeing parties, it behoves that arbiter to be fair to all
concerned,” he said.Oni replied: “We are here to also appeal to both sides or
all the sides that you should sheathe your swords, give us time to put together
this report. The president has set up a reconciliation committee, headed by
Bola Tinubu. He will reconcile all members. When we finish with the report, we
will give it to the NWC that sent us and a copy will be sent to Tinubu. That
will be his own document, based on which he will do his work.”
Also, the National Vice Chairman, South South, Hilliard Eta,
declared as null and void the just-concluded Cross River State
congress.National Officers, led by Mohammed Idebawa, on Saturday, had ignored a
court process and conducted the election. Eta added that the acting chairman,
Sir John Ochala, remains in charge of the state chapter of the party and “since
a court order has been served, the parties must resort to the status quo until
the exhaustion of the litigation process regarding the issue in contention.”
This came as the Primate of the Evangelical Church of Yahweh
Worldwide, Theophilus Olabayo, cautioned Buhari against seeking a second term in
2019. A Kano State governorship aspirant, Senator Muhammed Bello, also urged
Buhari to drop the idea, saying the president, on account of his health, might
not be able to cope with the pressures of office.
On his part, a former Special Adviser on Youths and Students
Matters to former president Goodluck Jonathan, Jude Imagwe, noted: “I have
consistently said that Buhari should not run. Considering his age, the
president can no longer cope with the demands of his high office. He should
take the honourable decision by not presenting himself for another election.”