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  • Edo APC, Oyegun trade words over N150m indebtedness

    Edo APC, Oyegun trade words over N150m indebtedness

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has advised a former national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, to pay the outstanding debt owed to the party.

    It said the debts arose from alleged loans and accumulated membership dues spanning several years when Oyegun was National Chairman of the party.

    This was contained in a statement signed by the Edo APC Chairman, Emperor Jarrett Tenebe.

    In the statement, the Edo APC chairman said Chief Oyegun failed to respond to several official demands for repayment, with the total liability of over ₦150m.

    According to the statement, “The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State wishes to inform the general public that, as a law-abiding, people-centred political organisation, we have formally demanded the settlement of debts owed by the National Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

    “The debts include loans allegedly advanced to Oyegun during his tenure as National Chairman of the APC, as well as accumulated membership dues which he allegedly failed to remit throughout his period of membership.

    “Our records also reveal accumulated membership dues which the ADC National Leader refused to pay into the party’s coffers all through the period of his membership of the APC.

    “This open demand has become necessary due to the refusal by Chief Oyegun to settle his commitments to the APC, the party that gave him the platform to tower politically.”

    Read Also: Edo APC kicks off e-registration of members

    Oyegun, who is National Leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the claims were baseless, and a sign of panic within the ruling APC.

    He said the allegations were driven by growing unease within the APC following the emergence of the ADC as a strong political force.

    “People will have a good laugh at that. All I can say is that, negative as what they are doing, it finally shows that they now know they have problems with the advent of the ADC.

    “They now know they are in trouble. We are ready for them. Whatever they do, we are ready. They are finally acknowledging that there is a threat to them in Nigeria.

    “They have dragged Edo State down into the mud. The only thing they can do is violence and unnecessary attacks. Instead of thinking, planning, and strategising, they resort to violence and abusive, stupid statements.

    “We are on the ground, and whatever way they want to choose, we are waiting for them,” he added.

  • Oyegun welcomes Edo Obidient Movement faction into ADC

    Oyegun welcomes Edo Obidient Movement faction into ADC

    A former governor of Edo state and national leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief John Oyegun, has expressed joy over defection of a faction of the Obedient Movement in Edo State into the party.

    Last week, a faction of the Edo State Obedient Movement led by Comrade Ikhuenbor Felix Igbinevbo collapsed into the All Progressive Congress (APC) to support reelection of President Bola Tinubu.

    “About 95 percent of those here are members of the Obedient Movement and Labour Party stakeholders. We supported Peter Obi in 2023, but we have resolved to support President Tinubu for a second term because we believe his reforms will benefit the common man,” Felix said.

    But Chief Oyegun said the defection was a sign that the people were ready to join the struggle for a leadership change in the country.

    He said, “A new Nigeria is truly possible. A few days ago, I was in the hall when a colourful and important personality, Dele Momodu joined us.

    “Today is the first time I saw youths that were committed to the nation building. It is my first time meeting members of the Obedient Movement in this number. We are convinced that the youth of this country are ready.

    “You have decided to take up the struggle yourself by joining the ADC. I am happy. I want to say that from the day the coalition came together, I was convinced that we are on the right path. 

    “I am sure you are not happy with what is happening in Nigeria and Edo State. Remember that the chairman said that we have one target is that we have a country to save. We must start to make sure that through the ADC, we make a new Nigeria possible.

    Edo coordinator of the Obedient Movement, Asemota Idiogbe, said the ADC remained the only party that could battle the APC at the polls. 

  • Oyegun picks ADC party’s card in Edo

    Oyegun picks ADC party’s card in Edo

    A former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former Governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, has received a membership card of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Edo State.

    Chief Oyegun was handed the card by the Edo state chairman of the ADC, Kennedy Odion, in Benin.

    Odion, who presented the card at the party’s secretariat in Benin City, said Oyegun was not new to forming a coalition.

    He said the Chief was repeating history to redeem the nation from its economic quagmire.

    The Edo ADC chairman said Oyegun had put together a coalition before that succeeded.

     “In mathematics, once you understand the formula, the answer is in view. So, he understands how he did it before, so doing it again is not a difficult task.

    “So as God may have it, he is not from any other state but from the heartbeat of this nation cum Edo State, and we are moving the coalition together.

    “He was the chairman of the implementation committee that decided that ADC would be the platform”, Odion said.

    READ ALSO: Aiyedatiwa assigns portfolios to newly sworn-in Ondo commissioners

    On his part, Oyegun said pressure from Nigerians resulted in the formation of the coalition.

     He said extensive research was conducted before the party was found to have the interest of Nigerians at heart.

    “We talked to a lot of people about seven others. Up till the very last minute. We made a report and we said ADC. And some said, “No, no, no, you must still talk to this, you must still talk to that.” So, we delayed the decision for another fortnight.

    “At the end of our meeting, we still came back. I said, “Yes, what do you ask us to do? We’ve done it. We’ve talked to the others, but we have not seen a party as dedicated as the ADC”, Oyegun said.

    Oyegun further blamed the ruling APC for the hunger and starvation in the country.

    He said the nation has never been divided as it is under the present administration.

    The former Edo Governor blamed the APC-led government for its inability to tackle the rising insecurity in the country.

    He dismissed talks that the ADC was planning to disrupt Tinubu’s administration, saying such talks were to diminish the aims and objectives of the coalition, which is to rescue Nigerians.

    Oyegun said the party was growing by the day, saying more notable politicians were coming to join the party.

    “One can say we are the largest party in this nation. We are growing by the day, we are growing by the week. We are growing by the month. People understand. In all parties, we are not talking; it’s still ADC, but ADC is now a mix of the best of PDP.

    “Some of the best of APC, a lot of them are still coming on the way. And all the other parties. And the good thing is that you haven’t seen a lot of the faces yet, both professionals, people who never thought of politics, people who just finished handling heights of the economy, but in whatever service, I don’t want to mention the various services.

    “The ADC today is a movement, and it is a movement that is driven by the people. You won’t believe how much we had to worry. We have not planned to unveil just yet, but the pressure from Nigerians was just unbearable. They keep talking to us about what the platform is. What is the platform? So we sat down one day and said, okay, this very next week, let us unveil whatever it is. We are still going to do a proper launch. But the pressure from Nigeria was so much that we had to hurry with what we then called unveiling.

     “So, a lot of good things. We are not against anybody. We are just for our country, Nigeria. And we want to save this very precious country, Nigeria, specially put together by God himself for the black race. 230 million people.”

  • Ikimi, Oyegun cannot lead ADC to victory in Edo, say Edo APC Chairman

    Ikimi, Oyegun cannot lead ADC to victory in Edo, say Edo APC Chairman

    Edo state chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Emperor Jarrett Tenebe, has predicted doom for the newly formed political coalition, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the state.

    He said the duo of Chief Tom Ikimi, Chief Odigie-Oyegun and Senator Oserheimen Osunbor cannot lead the party to victory in any election across Edo State.

    Tenebe, in a statement issued in Benin City, said the trio were no longer relevant in Edo politics.

    The statement said, “The so-called coalition will fail seeing the likes of Tom Ikimi, the very old Chevrolet that sucks a lot of fuel.

    Read Also: Edo 2024: Ighodalo meets Oyegun,Igbinedion, other Edo South political leaders

    “Prof Oserheimen Osunbor was trashed by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and Odigie-Oyegun, who is completely irrelevant in Edo State politics now.”

    Meanwhile, spokesman for the Edo PDP, Chris Nehikhare, said the party’s structure remained intact ahead of the August 16 by-election into the Ovia Federal Constituency seat and the Edo Central Senatorial seat.

    Nehikhare said the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.

    He said the emergence of the new coalition in the ADC would not affect the party’s chances at the poll.

  • Oyegun seeks peace in ruling party

    Former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun has called for compromise in the crisis rocking the ruling party.

    He said every effort must be made to establish peace within the party so that the APC will not go into the general elections in next year as divided house.

    In a chat with reporters at his Abuja residence, Odigie-Oyegun, who noted that the crisis rocking the party was unfortunate, said it was gratifying that the leadership of the party has initiated peace moves and expressed confidence that the ongoing peace moves will yield expected results.

    He said:  “We need to begin to confront the election in February next year, which, given the state of the nation, are bound to be challenging.”

    The elder statesman said he was not aware of any committed member of the party who is comfortable with the crisis rocking the party.

    He said: “Well I can say something for sure that I am not happy as to state of peace or the relative instability in the party. I don’t think I know someone who is happy today about that.

    “But like I said earlier, there are peace missions that I have found all over the country and so, at this point in time, it will be ill-opportune for me to start saying how things went bad because that happened or because that did not happen but as a statesman, let me not start passing my own personal judgment where there is a team out trying to broker peace, I won’t be helping the situation.

    “What we require is peace I pray God give these teams the wisdom that is required to work out the settlement to bring the party back to strong political party fighting force.”

    He appealled to APC members across the country to show understanding and loyalty, saying: “As far as my own party is concerned, I have only one appeal that there should be peace and that every effort should be made to establish peace such that we will approach the elections a united force, a united voice and a united party, rallying around a united programme of action.

    “There is no doubt about it that there are very serious disputations within the party. And I’m very very glad that peace teams have been sent out, I was glad to run into one of these teams once while I was on private business in the Southeast. And it is my prayer that they achieve the goals for which they were set up and for the reason they have been sent out.

    “But it is necessary to state that for peace to happen, there is need to emphasize that all sides must be ready to give and to take, there  must be willingness for compromise, such that can bring the party back together in such a fighting mood. We need to begin to confront the election in February next year which given the state of the nation, are bound to be challenging.”

  • INEC is in order, says Oyegun

    Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun,  has said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was in order to declare last Saturday’s governorship elections in Osun State inconclusive.

    Oyegun said INEC acted in line with the Electoral Act.

    Oyegun who with reporters in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said the APC led Federal Government should be commended for allowing democracy to prevail.

    He said Osun people freely expressed their will and ensured that the votes count.

    The former Edo governor also appealed to the electorate in the affected wards in Osun to reward the goodworks of the APC on Thursday for ensuring free, fair and credible election in their state.

    The former chairman explained that he sticked with President Muhammadu Buhari because he represents the light house the nation needs at the moment for economic growth.

    He said: “In a country that lacks heroes, Buhari stands out. We must represent the very positive traits of integrity and honesty in him. I believe that is what the nation needs now.

    “Buhari is that light house that we need in a society that is enveloped in darkness of corruption, lack of standard, ethics and morality.

    “He may not be perfect like any other human being, but he is what the nation needs at the moment to ensure steady growth.”

     

  • APC Diaspora honours Oyegun

    The Committee of Diaspora Chairmen and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Diaspora Chapters has honoured the immediate former chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, with a prestigious Executive Excellence Award (EEAwards).

    Oyegun was honoured alongside Deputy National Chairman (North) Senator Lawal Shuaibu at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja.

    The Chairman of the organising committee, Ambassador Ayoola Lawal, said Oyegun was honoured for leading the party to victory.

    Shuaibu, said the committee, was honoured for his deep commitment and contributions to the growth and development of the APC and her members at home and in the Diaspora.

    Lawal said the award was meant to “recognise and appreciate the contributions of party leaders who have distinguished themselves in the course of rendering their service to the party and also to inspire incoming members of the Executives in further advancing the development and growth of the party both home and in the Diaspora.

    “This is to encourage better performance by members of the Executive at all levels to make the party the best formidable political party on the continent in the nearest future. The award is going to be an annual event using the same global standard and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) in selecting future recipients.”

    The Chief of Staff to Oyegun, Mr Edwin Ekhinmwin, described Oyegun as a man of excellence. The awards were presented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mustapha Boss, to Oyegun and his Wife as well as Senator Lawal Shuaibu, respectively.

    The United Kingdom (UK) Chairman of APC, Dr Philip Idaewor, read the citation of Senator Shuaibu.

     

  • Oyegun formally quits as APC Chairman

    …Hands over to Oshiomole

     

    The new national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has officially taken over from the former chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun with a promise to institutionalise internal democracy with the party, assuring the staff of an improved welfare package.

    Oshiomhole arrived the party national Secretariat at about 1.15pm dressed in his traditional brown safari suit to the waiting arms of party supporters and staff.

    Oshiomhole was initially expected to assume his new position on Monday after being sworn in on Sunday evening, but the decision was differed to Tuesday to enable the former Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun to tidy up his hand over notes.

    Read Also: Challenges before Oshiomhole as APC chairman

    The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) led by its President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and a deputy President of Congress, Comrade Najeem Yasin were at the Secretariat to show solidarity with Oshiomhole who is also a former President of the Congress.

    The official hand over ceremony began atbabout 1.52pm with the national anthem and an opening prayer by Senator Oloronibe Mamora following the arrival of the former National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun.

     

    Details later…

  • I’ll be available to serve party in any capacity, says Oyegun

    FORMER All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has said he will be available to serve the party in whatever capacity when he is called upon by its new national leaders.

    Oyegun, who said he will be retiring to his home in Benin, said he was leaving the party leadership satisfied that he did his very best to build the APC into a winning machine that is able to compete favourably for power.

    He said: “I hope I will be available to play the role of a senior citizen and will be available at whatever time my service is required. I am leaving very satisfied that we have built a party.

    “I took the party at a time when we did not even have an office and we built it into a machine that could compete and win election, taking over power from a very robust government in terms of the resources at its disposal.

    “Since then, we have continued to grow. That has created a lot of things within the party, which is normal in any political consideration. Today, we have seen a party that is vibrant.

    “You have seen the joy generated in the atmosphere today because we have seen a party that is passionate about where it is going. You cannot tell me that everything is right, but I would say that by and large, this is a party that is progressive and putting itself in shape for 2019.

    “Like I said when I spoke briefly earlier, one era is ending. One phase in the life of this party is ending. The challenges, which become the phase two which starts today, may be different. The new administration will have to adjust and fashion out a solution to the new challenges that they will face.”

    On the prospect of the party in 2019, he said: “Is there any other party that is vibrant to continue in office as the APC? I don’t think so. The dominance of the APC has become so evident that the other parties are confused as to what to do.”

     

     

  • I hope I will be able to serve the party in any capacity, says Oyegun

    Immediate past national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie Oyegun has said he will be available to serve the party in whatever capacity he was called upon by the new national leaders of the party.
    Chief Oyegun who said he will be retiring to his home in Benin said he was leaving the party leadership satisfied that he has done his very best to build the APC into a winning machine that is able to compete favourably for power.
    He said “I hope I will be available to play the role of a senior citizen and will be available at whatever time my service is required. I am leaving very satisfied that we have built a party.
    “I took the party at a time when we did not even have an office and we built it into a machine that could compete and win election, taking over power from a very robust government in terms of the resources at its disposal.
    “Since then, we have continued to grow. That has created a lot of things within the party which is normal in any political consideration. Today, we have seen a party that is vibrant.
    “You have seen the joy generated in the atmosphere today because we have seen a party that is passionate about where it is going. You cannot tell me that everything is right, but I would say that by and large, this is a party that is progressive and putting itself in shape for 2019.
    “Like I said when I spoke briefly earlier, one era is ending. One phase in the life of this party is ending. The challenges which becomes the phase two which starts today may be different. The new administration will have to adjust and fashion out a solution to the new challenges that they will face.”
    On the prospect of the party in 2019, he said “Is there any other party that is vibrant to continue in office as the APC.?
    I don’t think so. The dominance of the APC has become so evident that the other parties are confused as to what to do.”