AHEAD of today’s meeting of the National Executive Committee, (NEC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) the plot against its embattled national chairman, Odigie Oyegun thickened on Monday, as a group stormed its national secretariat in Abuja, demanding for his removal.
Operating under the platform, “Save APC and Democracy Youth Vanguard,” they displayed placards with several inscriptions, “Audit APC account now”, “No to the non-elective convention,” “APC must support anti-corruption,” among others.
The protests came on the heels of a peace meeting with a forum of state chairmen of the party by Chief Oyegun at the weekend which was met with a polite rebuff by members of the Forum.
A party source revealed that the chairmen assured the former Edo state governor that they would convey his message to the governors.
Nigerian Tribune checks however revealed that Chief Henry Ajomale, a confidant of the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu is the chairman of the Forum. Ajomale incidentally, is the chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the APC Addressing newsmen, leader of the group, Peter Oyewole, alleged that since 2015 when APC won the presidential election, the party’s finances have not been audited and made public as stipulated by the law. He further accused the national working committee under Chief Oyegun leadership of imposition of candidates for elective positions.
He said: “Since 2015, the budget of APC has not been made public. Since 2015, the ruling party has not held a single meeting. These are enough to remove the National Chairman. We demand the removal of Oyegun now.
“We are also saying enough is enough to imposition of candidates at all level by Oyegun led NWC that is currently going on in this party, because in any party where there is imposition there cannot be fairness, any party where there is imposition there cannot be equity, the imposition in APC today is just rubbishing the anti-corruption war of President Buhari.
“So, the current National chairman we are having in APC cannot work in support of APC agenda and President Buhari. If Oyegun is not removed he will continue to rubbish the efforts of the President, especially in fighting corruption because you cannot give what you don’t have. The high level of corruption and imposition going on under Oyegun is alarming.
“If Odigie-Oyegun is not removed within the next one month, the APC youths will picket this national secretariat and make it a no-go area to everybody; both staff, the officials and even the security staff will be chased out of the secretariat and none of them will be allowed to come in here.”
“The man (Oyegun) cannot manage success. Since 2015 that the APC won the Presidential election, tell me a single NEC meeting that has been held? This man cannot galvanise support for the president.
“What we are saying is that if Oyegun continues like this we are going to have imposition at all levels in APC come 2019.”
When asked if his group was known to the party constitution, Oyewole told newsmen that “This is a democracy whereby many wings can grow up to push for the interest of many.”
Meanwhile, another amorphous group, apparently loyal to the APC national chairman in a statement appealed to aggrieved chieftains of the party to sheathe their swords and allow peace reign in the party.
The group, APC Youths Solidarity Forum in a statement signed by its convener, Danesi Momoh Prince, claimed that the gang up against Chief Oyegun was part of a sinister plot to undermine the ruling party ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
“The president needs to take more than a passing interest in the activities of the party and ensure that the party is supreme. There have been alleged schemes to remove the Party’s National Chairman from office because of his perceived loyalty to Mr President.
“The alleged plot is aimed at achieving sinister political ends in the lead up to the 2019General Elections. If the plan succeeds it will allow the sponsors install their stooges and hijack the party in the lead up to the election. This is a red flag that the president must take seriously and thwart.”
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