APC crisis: Tinubu insists on elective convention •Zonal chairmen have vindicated me —Timi Frank

MORE revelations have emerged on the crisis of confidence rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) with more major stakeholders insisting that the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun must leave office.

He is currently the subject of a petition written by zonal chairmen of the party over his style of leadership, which they claimed had eroded confidence in majority of the party faithful across the country.

The petitioners, in specific terms, accused Oyegun of undermining the party organs, among other issues, that have virtually paralysed the structures of the APC in most state chapters.

Some highly-placed party members told Sunday Tribune on Saturday that all concerned stakeholders were determined to see his exit if the party had to regain lost grounds in the face of emerging coalition of forces determined to rout the party out of power.

A source said the camp of the national leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu was insisting on the conduct of an elective national convention as the way out for the party.

It was gathered that moves by the embattled national chairman to seek for an extension of tenure for his National Working Committee (NWC) had hit the rocks.

Sunday Tribune findings revealed that the rank of opposition to his move to frustrate an elective convention to elect a new set of national officers swelled during the week.

Apart from the zonal chairmen, who passed a damning verdict on his leadership, accusing him of lack of accountability and  usurping their functions, Sunday Tribune can also reveal that the duo of former Lagos State governor and national leader of the party, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the former Interim National Chairman of  the party, Chief Bisi Akande, told President Muhammadu Buhari in clear terms that only  the election of a new set of national officers would instill sanity in the party and inspire confidence of the majority of the party faithful across the country, who they claimed had lost confidence in the Chief Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee.

The two chieftains of the party from the South-West zone met with Buhari at the Presidential Villa during the week.

One of the state chairmen of the party told Sunday Tribune in  confidence that the duo impressed it on the president what they perceived as ‘’the grave danger in condoning impunity couched in tenure extension for Chief Oyegun and his team.’’

Further findings revealed that certain governors and the pro-Oyegun forces were working on two options: one, an arrangement that will give Chief Oyegun and his team the latitude to seek re-election for a fresh term of four years at the yet-to-be scheduled convention. If the first option fails, the alternative would be to lobby the Presidency to buy into an extension of the tenure of the present NWC by a proclamation of the national convention, the party’s highest organ.

Meanwhile, deputy national publicity secretary of the party, Timi Frank, has reacted to the growing disaffection against the Chief Oyegun-led National Working Committee.

Recall that the six zonal chairmen in their petition dated January 17, 2018 accused  the national working committee of lack of transparency, disregard for the party constitution, among other infractions.

Speaking with Sunday Tribune on phone, Comrade  Frank said the recent action of the zonal chairmen has vindicated his stance that Chief Oyegun was not running an inclusive administration.

“I thank God they have started realising I started speaking about this since a long time ago, but it is good  that they are just seeing it. I have always said that this man isn’t competent; he isn’t transparent in his running of the party’s affairs. I think God is now opening the eyes of a lot of party leaders to know that this man cannot take this party anywhere. I have always said that if they don’t take any action, it will be too late by the time they realise it.

“As far as I am concerned, God has vindicated me. All my positions, everything I said, one way or the other is coming to pass.  Our members should wake up from their slumber, it is high time they took charge and see how this party can move from bad to good,’’ he said.

Efforts to speak with the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, were unsuccessful as he refused to pick his calls.