APC splits as Atiku, Saraki plot to remove Oyegun

APC splits as Atiku, Saraki plot to remove Oyegun

The seeming calmness at the national headquarters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) may have become like that of the graveyard as internal squabble threatens to disintegrate the ruling party, according to Nigerian Times.

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It was learnt that a national leader of the party and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar alongside Senate President Bukola Saraki may have teamed-up to demand the removal from office of the party’s National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun over his handling of some party matters.

Also in the gang-up according to our source is the Minister of Transportation and former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi leading some State governors in the party.

The straw that seems to be breaking the horse’ back despite various other issues is his brazen opposition to the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, who is constitutionally recognized as the spokesman of the party, in absence of National Publicity Secretary. The office of the National Publicity Secretary of the party has since become vacant since the appointment of Lai Mohammed as Minister of Information.

Frank was very vocal in condemning Oyegun’s handling of the recent leadership crisis that engulfed the National Assembly; this invited the chairman’s fury on him.
Oyegun in trying to resolve the present imbroglio had summoned a meeting of the National Executive Council on Tuesday at the party Secretariat to discuss Frank.

A competent source at the meeting revealed that Oyegun who still maintained his opposition to Frank as spokesperson for the party decided to set up a committee as a delay tactics to look into the issue.

The source also revealed that a member of the NEC who was not satisfied with Oyegun’s position recorded the voice of the chairman at the meeting and transferred same to some leaders of the party for necessary action against the national chairman.

Earlier at a media briefing, Oyegun had told the inquisitive newsmen that the National Secretary of the party, Mai Mala Buni and himself were the only authorized party officials allowed to speak for the party.
He said: “I will start by saying who does not speak for the party; the person you are talking about does not speak for the party.

Secondly, if there are any issues that need clarification for now, pending when we have a substantive publicity secretary, the national secretary will do so for the party and also when I speak, I speak for the party. It is as simple as that”.

Frank, in another press briefing same day called the bluff of the chairman saying “any other person (apart from him) issuing a statement is doing that may be on a personal capacity”.

“Today I am the spokesperson of the party, I’m the acting spokesperson of the party I can tell you without fear or favour that when the substantive person in the office of the national chairman or the national secretary or anybody that is not there, the deputy takes over automatically.

Frank said that the party’s constitution was clear on what should be done if there is vacant position that needed to be filled given the instance where Uche Secondus, the acting National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stepped in the moment Adamu Muazu resigned after the party suffered defeat to the APC in the 2015 Presidential election.

“This is the principle of the party constitution’s, we have this also existing today in the PDP, you could see that when Muazu was not there Secondus today is acting for the party, so there is no difference, Lai Mohammad Is not here so automatically I’m the acting spokesperson of this party, so I can tell you without fear or favour, any other person issuing a statement is doing that maybe on a personal capacity but constitutionally I am the acting spokesperson of the party. It’s not something I need to lobby for, it is something meant to be the trend and I stand by it. Frank submitted.

Section 14 sub-section 11i of the APC constitution states that: “the deputy national publicity secretary shall assist and deputise for the national publicity secretary in his absence.”

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  1. October 9, 2023

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