All Progressives Congress, APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu
\nhas demanded the resignation of the national chairman of the party, Chief
\nJohn Odigie-Oyegun who he claimed Sunday had derailed from the path of
\nprogressives.<\/p>\n
In a stinking communiqu\u00e9 from his media office, Tinubu accused Oyegun of
\nsabotaging the will of democracy in Ondo State by overriding the decision
\nof the appeal panel that asked for a fresh governorship primary following
\ninvestigations that showed that the delegates\u2019 list used had been tampered
\nwith.<\/p>\n
Tinubu in the communiqu\u00e9 further alleged that Oyegun\u2019s action in allegedly
\nsubverting the will of the people was not of his doing, saying that for a
\nman of the age of the national chairman to have done what he did that he
\nmust have been under the influence of a \u201cpowerful and sinister arm at
\nwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tinubu who said that the APC was now under threat of being suffocated by
\nanti-democratic forces pretending to be progressives, said: \u201cThe APC, a
\nparty born of the quest for democratic good governance, is under critical
\nthreat by those who managed to be in the party but never of it. From the
\nparty\u2019s inception, the principles of democratic fairness and justice were
\nto guide APC internal deliberations. Party founders realized that only by
\nintramural fair dealing could the party remain faithful to the progressive
\nideals that we presented to the Nigerian electorate as our governing
\ncreed. If the party could not justly govern itself, it would find it
\ndifficult to establish and maintain just government throughout the nation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn essence, the party was the embodiment of a democratic promise made
\nbetween its members as well as a democratic vow made to the public.
\nEvidently, some errant members believe promises and vows are mere words to
\nbe easily spoken and more easily broken. Chairman John Oyegun has breached
\nthese good pledges in a most overt and brazen display. In doing so, Oyegun
\nhas dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead. It is an
\nawful parent who suffocates his own child for the sake of a few naira. The
\nparty was supposed to buttress APC members elected to government at all
\nlevels. Because of Oyegun\u2019s conduct of our affairs, the party is rapidly
\nbecoming an albatross to those it was meant to help.<\/p>\n
\u201cOyegun\u2019s comportment regarding the Ondo State primary will become the
\ntextbook definition of political treachery and malfeasance of the basest
\norder. In early September, the state primary was held. A purported winner
\nwas named. Having faith in the ways of the party, Tinubu publicly accepted
\nwhat he assumed to be a verdict honestly derived. As a democrat, one must
\nface the possibility of defeat and accept such as outcome with as much
\ngrace as one would embrace victory. One of the few bright spots during the
\nconduct of the primaries was Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru
\nAbubakar. He chaired the primary convention with decorum and impartiality.
\nHe was unaware that a tampered list had been slipped into the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndeed within hours of the announcement, news began to filter in that
\ngravely disturbed me. Credible allegations of fraud troubled the waters.
\nThe delegate list had been materially altered by someone in a strategic
\nposition to so do. The names of over 150 valid delegates were excised to
\nmake room for an equal number of impostors. This was not a clerical error.
\nThe alteration was wilfully executed that the primary would be directed
\ntoward a chosen end that bore nothing in common with the will of most
\nstate party members. A cunning few had tried to deceive the many into
\nbelieving they were outnumbered.<\/p>\n
\u201cA conspiracy to steal the Ondo primary had been uncovered. Fortunately,
\nthe grand deception afoot had been unable to cover its tracks fast enough.
\nTruth began to cry for justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeveral candidates filed petitions contesting the result. The party
\nestablished an investigative board to review the evidence. In a two to one
\ndecision, the panel found the delegate roster had suffered tampering. The
\npanel recommended that a new primary should be held using the valid
\ndelegate list. This recommendation was tabled before the National Working
\nCommittee (NWC).<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter many hours of deliberations spanning several days, a final vote was
\nheld by the NWC. Before hand, NWC members agreed that the decision of the
\nmajority would become the stance of the party. Such is the way of
\ndemocracy. The NWC voted six against five to cancel the fraudulent results
\nand hold an honest primary. For a moment, it seemed the party would
\nrestore its integrity by giving democracy a chance. However, those who
\nsought to scam an entire state would not let the vote of 11 people spoil
\ntheir enterprise.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the NWC vote, a noticeably agitated Chairman Oyegun proposed the
\nNWC engage in prayer before concluding the meeting. Adhering to this
\nchairman\u2019s request, NWC members began to pray. Seeing that the others had
\ntaken his bait, Oyegun used the prayerful interlude to secretly excuse
\nhimself from the meeting. Contravening the NWC decision and in violation
\nof all rules of fundamental decency, Oyegun decided to safeguard the fraud
\ndone in Ondo by perpetrating a greater fraud. Oyegun arrogated to himself
\nthe right to submit the name of Rotimi Akeredolu to INEC as the candidate
\nof the party.<\/p>\n
\u201cTruth has finally come to light. There exists a regressive element in the
\nparty that cares nothing for the progressive ideas upon which this party
\nwas founded. They joined the APC because it was the best ride available at
\nthe time. Now they want to guide the party into the ditch. They want to
\nturn the party into a soulless entity incapable of doing good, just like
\nthey are. When such a person tastes power, they shed all good restraint.
\nThey come to abuse the trust given them as if they are the owners of that
\ntrust and not its mere custodians. These people did little to build the
\nparty but now will do much to wreck it.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur party was to stand for change. Oyegun and his fellows seem to be on a
\ndifferent wave length. They are the cohort of Unchange. The APC wants to
\nguide Nigeria into a better tomorrow. Oyegun and the cohort of unchange
\nwant to pull Nigeria back into the past where rigging and vote stealing
\nwere the old and new testaments of politics. They want the people to think
\nthat there is no alternative to their reactionary system of skewed
\npolitics and imperious government. Thus, they seek to turn the APC into a
\nfactory of the very political malpractices the people soundly rejected in
\nthe past election. To choke the APC in this manner is to kill the chance
\nfor progressive reform for the foreseeable future. Much more than the Ondo
\nprimary is at stake. Oyegun has revealed his team\u2019s game plan: It is the
\ndestruction of progressive politics and governance on behalf of the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs party chairman, Oyegun was supposed to protect our internal processes
\nand be an impartial arbiter, a person in whom all had confidence. Instead,
\nhe donned the garment of a confident man, duping the NWC, the party, and
\nINEC in one fell blow. He has robbed APC members in Ondo State of the
\nchance to pick in a fair manner who they believe is the best candidate.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs such, he has broken faith with the party and probably has broken a few
\nlaws. The consequences of what he has done are more expansive than a man
\nof his scope can fathom,\u201d Tinubu said as he said that Oyegun must have
\nbeen under some major sinister influence as to allow what happened.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith strong expectation, we await a response to Oyegun\u2019s wrongdoing from
\nthose who clamored so long and loudly about Tinubu\u2019s alleged role in the
\nOndo primary.<\/p>\n
\u201cLeading into the primary, a prominent lawyer from Ondo published lengthy
\nmissives alleging that Tinubu was a malicious hand intent on rigging the
\nprimary. His letters spoke of his great love for democracy and justice.
\nThough Oyegun has assaulted democracy in a most public and vulgar way,
\nthis lawyer\u2019s prolific pen will remain stilled. He dare not publish a word
\nabout this travesty. His silence will be sign for all who care to decipher
\nits meaning.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe plan was to point the accusing finger at Tinubu. With everyone
\nfocused on Tinubu, they would have distracted all attention from the heist
\nthey had set in motion. As fate would have it, the trickery they hoped to
\nconduct in the shadows has come to light.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose who so actively attributed imaginary wrong to Tinubu now stand dumb
\nand mute in the face of confirmed impropriety. They remain silent for
\nreasons they cannot divulge. Oyegun and his ilk turn out to be gangsters
\nadorned in the tunic of party authority.<\/p>\n
\u201cOyegun has engaged in the strange math where five is greater than six.
\nThis smacks of how the PDP conducted its affairs and orchestrated its own
\ndownfall. Tinubu disparaged such malpractice when it was not in his party.
\nTinubu surely disowns it now that it has invaded the party he helped bring
\nto fruition.<\/p>\n
\u201cTinubu has consciously refused to hold any official position with the
\nparty to avoid the perception that he was trying to control all and
\nsundry. Tinubu has even kept his peace for some time despite many things
\nthat happened within the party that were not quite right. He exercised
\nthis forbearance because the party is young. A collective endeavor cannot
\navoid the mistakes and errors of organizational newness and evolution.<\/p>\n
\u201cYet, the wrongs Oyegun committed had nothing to do with newness or the
\nmistakes occasioned by the path of reform. His actions are in the nature
\nof the old wrongs that have afflicted our national politics much too long.
\nIf Oyegun wants to walk backward into the past, he has every right to it.
\nHowever, he has no right to drag the party or any of us with him. Against
\nour choosing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe informal title of national leader of the party was given to Tinubu at
\nthe onset which he accepted it as a sign from those who wished to
\nrecognize my contributions to the party\u2019s formation. It is an honorific
\ntitle which he has been proud to wear until today. I would rather not have
\nany title yet reside in a party that honors democracy than hold a title in
\na party that says it honors me but that treats justice with indecency. I
\nfind greater honour and comfort where democracy and fairness are found and
\nrespected.<\/p>\n
\u201cOyegun has done the irredeemable. His coup is an insult to party and to
\npatriot, to reason and to the reform agenda of this government. To remain
\nsilent would be to admit the defeat of the reform and progressive change
\nmany have labored to bring forth. While the forces resistant to change and
\nreform are strong, Tinubu dare not submit to them. Tinubu encourages all
\nparty members not to submit to them. If we acquiesce in this wrong, the
\none greater than this shall cascade upon us.<\/p>\n
\u201cOyegun\u2019s transgressions are a warning. He is but the mercenary of forces
\nthat seek to return the nation to the old ways. If they get away with this
\ninfraction, no telling what or whom they will undermine tomorrow. Much is
\nat stake. On the chopping block, lies the future of the political party in
\nwhich the majority of voters had placed their confidence. To rescue the
\nparty, Oyegun must go. He has shown that he and democratic fair play
\ncannot exist in the same party at the same time. If Tinubu is to choose
\nbetween John Oyegun and progress toward a better Nigeria, the choice has
\nalready been made. For those who care about the party, who care about
\nNigeria and its chance for a better tomorrow, now is the time to stand
\nagainst this brewing evil before it grows to encompass all we have built
\nand all we hold dear.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
All Progressives Congress, APC national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demanded the resignation of the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun who he claimed Sunday had derailed…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53453,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n