The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Odigie Oyegun has responded to a letter written to him by the party’s National Leader, Bola Tinubu, saying the issues raised were reckless and false.
He also pleaded with party members to avoid displaying their grievances in the media, adding that internal dispute resolution mechanisms should be explored.
Oyegun in the letter yesterday noted that engaging in intra-party rivalry would prevent the party from fulfilling the promises made to Nigerians.
The letter partly reads: “The outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 2016 Ondo State Governorship Primary Election has led to disagreements among some party stakeholders in the state and at the national level. The ripples from the controversy over the election have unfortunately dragged our great party on to the front pages of newspapers for the wrong reasons.
‘’Recently, the media office of Bola Tinubu falsely and recklessly accused me of corruption, rigging the outcome of the 2016 Ondo State APC governorship election primaries and overruling the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC) “vote” on the 2016 Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee Report.
In view of the misinformation and false reports that have been fed to the media and that have pervaded the public space, there is need to set the records straight. Below are factual responses to the salient points and allegations made by the media office of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in its statement.
‘’The media office of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in its statement alleged that I overruled the NWC’s vote of “six against five” in favour of cancelling the primary election results and conducting another primary.
“According to the minutes of the 18th emergency meeting of the APC NWC held from Monday September 19, 2016 to Thursday, at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, there was absolutely no meeting which I chaired that voted in the manner alleged. Clearly, the report on which the media office of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu acted was a figment of someone’s wild imagination.
On September 22, 2016 being the final day for submission of candidate by political parties, the NWC discussed the possibility of voting having finished deliberation on the2016 Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee Report because members in support of cancelling the Primary results were still strident in their position.
‘’The foregoing are facts backed by the minutes approved by all NWC members that attended the meetings held in respect of 2016 Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee Report. It needs to be stated categorically that the NWC is confident that the Chairman of the Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Committee, Abubakar Badaru, Executive Governor of Jigawa State conducted a credible and exemplary exercise. We indeed commend the Governor and his team for their transparency and the free and fair manner the primaries was conducted.
‘’Going forward, I appeal very passionately to leaders and members of the Party at all levels to explore internal dispute resolution mechanisms in addressing their perceived grievances instead of resorting to the media to vent their spleen. There are enormous challenges in delivering on the Party’s 2015 election promises to Nigerians.
On the immediate horizon is the task of winning the governorship election in Ondo state. We cannot afford to be distracted by the present contentions. I wish to assure party members that despite the media attention that has been generated by the disagreements in the aftermath of the 2016 Ondo State governorship primary election, the party is focused on the task ahead and we urge our Party leaders and teeming supporters to also remain calm. The party has already commenced wide consultations with stakeholders with a view to resolving the political differences that still exist. Hurling brickbats cannot help the cause of the party in any way.”
