…Condemns suspension of Bayelsa APC chairman
Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) Comrade Timi Frank, said he has been vindicated by the
recent comments credited to the former Vice President Alhaji Atiku
Abubakar and Senate President Bukola Saraki, over the ongoing
mismanagement of the party.
Frank, who commended the two national leaders for summoning the courage to
speak out against what he described as “undemocratic tendencies of the
current National Working Committee led by Chief John Oyegun”, declared
that APC “is dead but not yet burry under the current National Chairman.”
In a statement signed on Sunday in Abuja, Timi Frank said the real lovers
of APC are the ones speaking out their minds having waited for two years
without any improvement on the part of the working committee “that is
practically leading the party to destruction.”
Recall that both Atiku and Saraki came down hard penultimate week on the
running of APC by the current NWC under Chief Oyegun.
Specifically, Atiku who decried the party’s inability to hold meetings of
their organs including those meant for the democratic selection of their
leadership, or even constitute institutions prescribed in their
Constitution, called it ‘party bullying.’
According to Atiku, “In the absence of those meetings and elections, their
existing leadership, often under the direction of the Executive at the
state or federal level, fill the void. That’s not party building but party
bullying. And it’s certainly not a way to democratize parties and
aggregate their members’ opinions, interests and aspirations.”
For the Senate President Bukola Saraki, who spoke at the News Agency of
Nigeria (NAN) Forum two days later said the APC leadership headed by its
National Chairman, Chief John Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, lacked focus.
Frank said: “I’m happy that some of our leaders are now speaking out
against the lack of internal democracy I have been fighting for all this
while. It is still not too late if others will shun sentiments and see
reasons to quickly rescue APC from the current handlers, who are merchants
and without minds of their own.”
Meanwhile, Frank has strongly condemned the suspension of APC Chairman in
Bayelsa state by the NWC, saying the party leadership has committed
unforgivable error against the constitution of the party.
“If there are allegations against state party chairman, it is expected of
NWC to set up a panel of enquiry to investigate these allegations and give
the chairman in question a fair hearing and not suspension like in this
case.
“Like I have been saying, Nigerians will now see the excesses of Chief
Oyegun led NWC and how the suppose leaders are creating unnecessary crisis
by taking sides practically in all state chapters of the federation.”
The APC chieftain believe that it is not the best time for the party to
suspend anybody but time to embark on genuie reconciliation, adding that
“all what Chief Oyegun led NWC has been doing were displaying of impunity.
“One will be forced to ask if Chief Oyegun has two party constitutions
where he uses one for his own favour and the other against his perceived
enemies?