Timi Frank, Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says John Odigie Oyegun, National Chairman of the party, took two weeks to prepare lies in response to the allegations of the National Leader of the party, Ashiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu had accused Oyegun of manipulating the Ondo primary election in favour of Chief Rotimi Akeredolu the party’s governorship candidate in the state.
In a statement on Sunday, Frank said what really transpired at the national working committee (NWC) meeting of the party, where the decision to forward Akeredolu’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was reached, has been truly relayed by Chief Pius Akinyelure, South West National Vice Chairman of the party.
He reiterated that it would be best for Oyegun to step down and allow “someone else correct the damages he has done to the ruling party”.
“It took him two weeks to prepare lies as responses. Unknown to the National Chairman, the last two NWC meetings were properly recorded and the record showed the contributions of each and every member of the NWC present at the meetings,” he said.
“Chief Oyegun should tell the world why he brushed aside the suggestion of the National Youth Leader, Hon. Dasuki Jalo, that the party should submit an interim name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) pending the time a political solution would be found to the matter.
“But Oyegun and few others who benefited from the corruption that produced Akeredolu as governorship candidate of our party did not see wisdom in what the National Youth Leader said.
“Chief Oyegun’s few responses to the many of allegations raised by our leader Asiwaju Tinubu can never hold water.
“For example, the National Chairman and his cohort contradicted themselves when Oyegun said there was no voting at all but he forgot that the National Vice chairman Hilliard Eta, told news men that there was voting, which is in agreement with the position of the party’s South West National Vice Chairman Chief Pius Akinyelure, who also said that the NWC members actually voted on the Ondo State governorship appeal panel report.”
Frank stated that there was a contradiction for Oyegun to have said: “Voting on the issue became unnecessary and never took place in view of the NWC’s rejection of the appeal committee’s report” and Eta Hilliard, South South Vice Chairman, to have said: “[at] that meeting, there were two reports before the NWC, that of the appeal committee was voted on.”
“Now, who is deceiving who? In another clime Chief Oyegun would have voluntarily resigned as the National Chairman of APC to allow someone else correct the damages he has done to the ruling party,” Frank said.
“But it is not to late. Our National Leader Tinubu has spoken that Oyegun should step aside, and that is the opinion of larger percentage of leaders and members of APC. It is expected of our National Chairman to do the needful before the evidences of many evils done to the party will be made public.
“All lovers of APC should disregard Chief Oyegun’s made-to-believe lies because the true position of what transpired at the NWC meeting had been truly revealed by the National Vice Chairman (South-west), Chief Pius Akinyelure.
“It is surprising that Oyegun made mentioned of party constitution in the process of removing the National Chairman, but the same Oyegun has never obeyed the party’s constitution in calling for NEC meeting as expected and by allowing the Deputy National Officers to act in absence of their bosses. My case is a perfect example. Oyegun must go!”