ONDO | Tinubu Blasts APC, Calls APC National Chairman, John Oyegun, A Betrayer

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Sena­tor Bola Ahmed Tinubu has described the ruling party as being under critical threat by those he described as people who managed to be in the par­ty but are never of it.

Tinubu, a former gover­nor Lagos State, who was ap­parently reacting to the APC National Working Commit­tee (NWC’s) decision on the Ondo State governorship pri­mary election crisis, lamented that despite APC’s quest for good democratic governance, it is under serious destruction by those who do not mean well for it.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his media organ­isation, Tinubu accused the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun of breaching the party’s good pledge in a most overt and brazen display on his decision on the Ondo primary election crisis.

Tinubu said: “From the par­ty’s inception, the principles of democratic fairness and jus­tice were to guide the APC’s internal deliberations. The party’s founders realised that only by intramural fair dealing could it remain faithful to the progressive ideals that we pre­sented to the Nigerian elector­ate as our governing creed. If the party could not justly gov­ern itself, it would find it dif­ficult to establish and maintain a just government throughout the nation.

“In essence, the party was the embodiment of a demo­cratic promise made between its members as well as a demo­cratic vow made to the public. Evidently, some errant mem­bers believe promises and vows are mere words to be easily spoken and more easily broken.

“The Chairman, John Od­igie-Oyegun has breached these good pledges in a most overt and brazen display. In doing so, Odigie-Oyegun has dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead. It is an awful parent who suf­focates his own child for the sake of a few naira notes. The party was supposed to buttress APC members elected to gov­ernment at all levels. Because of Odigie-Oyegun’s conduct of our affairs, the party is rap­idly becoming an albatross to those it was meant to help.

“Odigie-Oyegun’s comport­ment regarding the Ondo State primary will become the textbook definition of politi­cal treachery and malfeasance of the basest order. In early September, the state primary was held. A purported winner was named. Having faith in the ways of the party, Tinubu publicly accepted what he as­sumed to be a verdict hon­estly derived. As a democrat, one must face the possibility of defeat and accept such as outcome with as much grace as one would embrace vic­tory. One of the few bright spots during the conduct of the primaries was the Jigawa Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar,” he said.

He regretted that the Odigie-Oyegun-led APC NWC could go ahead to submit the name of Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate for the November governorship elec­tion in Ondo State, despite overwhelming proof of use of a fake list which was allegedly compiled by the national lead­ership of the APC.

“The delegate list had been materially altered by some­one in a strategic position to do so. The names of over 150 valid delegates were execised to make room for an equal number of impostors. This was not a clerical error. The altera­tion was wilfully executed that the primary would be directed toward a chosen end that bore nothing in common with the will of most state party mem­bers. A cunning few had tried to deceive the many into be­lieving they were outnum­bered,” he said.

Tinubu continued: “A con­spiracy to steal the Ondo pri­mary had been uncovered. Fortunately, the grand decep­tion afoot had been unable to cover its tracks fast enough. Truth began to cry for jus­tice. Several candidates filed petitions contesting the re­sult. The party established an investigative board to review the evidence. In a two to one decision, the panel found the delegate roster had suffered tampering. The panel recom­mended that a new primary should be held using the valid delegate list. This recommen­dation was tabled before the National Working Committee (NWC).

“After the NWC vote, a no­ticeably agitated Chairman Odigie-Oyegun proposed the NWC engage in prayer before concluding the meeting. Ad­hering to this chairman’s re­quest, NWC members began to pray. Seeing that the others had taken his bait, Odigie-Oyegun used the prayerful interlude to secretly excuse himself from the meeting. Contravening the NWC de­cision and in violation of all rules of fundamental decen­cy, Odigie-Oyegun decided to safeguard the fraud done in Ondo by perpetrating a greater fraud. Odigie-Oyegun arrogated to himself the right to submit the name of Rotimi Akeredolu to INEC as the can­didate of the party.

“Truth has finally come to light. There exists a regressive element in the party that cares nothing for the progressive ideas upon which this party was founded. They joined the APC because it was the best ride available at the time. Now they want to guide the party into the ditch. They want to turn the party into a soul­less entity incapable of doing good, just like they are.