The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oyegun

  • Trump, Oyegun and the 2019 challenge

    AS the world grapples with dreadful anxieties about the inevitability of a President Donald Trump in the Oval Office in Washington DC, the shocking reality of Trump becoming the 45th President of the self-proclaimed world power hit many Nigerians like a thunderbolt.

    For Trump, the author of the bestseller, ‘Think like a Champion’, victory at the polls against a formidable and experienced opponent like Hillary Rodham Clinton justifies his personal cant that quitters never win. We may not like his crude and oftentimes demeaning pronouncements that preceded his steps towards the White House.

    But, in more ways than one, Trump played the populist tune, wowed his crowd and got the presidential prize in an election that poignantly highlighted the deep-seated divisiveness in the American society. It was one historic election with lots of histrionics and a rather sublime ending. Nonetheless, the world was stunned that someone who was considered the greatest joke by the establishment could sweep the poll at such an auspicious moment.

    Many across the globe are waiting, with bated breath; to see what direction America is headed with Trump in charge. Some three weeks after, Americans are still divided on the outcome and questions have been raised on the use of the Electoral College system over the popular votes which Clinton clearly won. Somehow, what happened in the USA could be said to be similar to what happened in Nigeria in 2015 when, in spite of all odds, General Muhammadu Buhari won a keenly contested election against former President Goodluck Jonathan. Like Trump, majority of those who voted for Buhari did so with blind trust.

    In spite of the countless fault lines and scary prospects of a likely failed presidency as espoused by the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Buhari still scaled the hurdle in a blaze of glory that shocked everyone. In the U.S., that shock is at a global scale. I could understand why the Democratic Party’s candidate, Hillary, declined to give a concession speech on the night Republican Trump snatched victory from the deadly jaws of defeat. She needed to assimilate what had just hit her and the damage it would have on the legacy of the outgoing President Barrack Obama. It was a devastation that rubbished all projections and left both the winner and loser gaping.

    In Nigeria today, we have gone past gaping. For, if we must say the truth, the enthusiasm that propelled Buhari into power has waned significantly 17 months after. Was that what happened in America after Obama’s eight years of change have failed to change the way Washington does things? Well, the jury is still out on the Obama legacy. What is clear is that whilst sectional sentiments played a significant role in Buhari’s emergence, race was pivotal to Trump’s victory.

    The sophistication of America’s democracy notwithstanding, the demographics show that the Republican candidate targeted the teeming band of disgruntled and uneducated white voters. With his diehard supporters holding aloft an irreverent banner of dreadful ‘ideology’ and occasional chants of ‘Lock her up’, he caused an upset whose consequences are yet to unfold. It is not impossible too that many of these persons just wanted to see a fresh face in the White House, someone who had no links with the establishment and Donald Trump just fits that description at this point in time.

    It was his moment to exhale. However, it was humbling that Trump graciously admitted that he had to live above the showmanship and ugly shenanigan of the campaigns if he must succeed as a President. He acknowledged the deep gulf of mutual suspicion that the election had wrought on the psyche of the people and promised to unite Americans. With a hint of diplomatese, he said while he would put the interest of America first and make himself available to deal fairly with other countries in the global community. The problem is that those are the usual tones deployed in politics.

    Until the world starts seeing a Trump who not only uses tempered language but equally walk his talk, they would continue to nurse palpable fears about his Presidency like Nigerians presently do with Buhari. For, in truth, Nigerians are gradually losing patience about the promise to turn things around for the good of all. Aside its war on corruption, there has hardly been any other notable strides that would place this administration in a good stead to return to power in 2019.

    This is not just about how the massive goodwill that shot this administration into power is being badly affected by the day, it is more about its seeming delay in adding value to the lives of the people struggling to wade through an economy in recession. You ask: how many jobs has this government created for both the educated youth and the educationally disadvantaged? The records are poor, very dismal. As I write this, the plan to recruit 10,000 policemen is enmeshed in National Assembly versus the executive politicking on recruitment quota. And we thought they say they are going to do things differently.

    The N500bn Social Intervention Scheme which was projected to employ 500,000 teachers and about 200,000 persons in agriculture in addition to the training of hundreds of youths in ICT are all shrouded in secrecy. Yet, people lose jobs daily in every sector of the economy. Many families now live in constant fear of an unsure future.

    It is pointless projecting a better deal in 2017 at a period when the Senate has thrown out the government’s request to borrow $30bn and the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) which it opaquely described as empty! And so, with an All Progressives Congress whose leadership torn through the middle, one is shell-shocked that its National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has declared that a Buhari return to power in 2019 as a fait accompli. And what exactly were the points Oyegun tabled to justify this? First, he says the president is the only Nigerian politician alive with a capacity to win 12 million votes “without major campaign.” Second, he is the only man with courage to make changes that Nigeria needs. Third, that even if the growing band of disgruntled members ship out of the APC, new members would fill the vacuum as there is “no strong party anymore.”

    Four, octogenarian Oyegun said he would fast and pray to ensure that Buhari agrees to run for reelection in 2019. And lastly, he reasoned that an additional four years is needed “to get this country to subscribe to a new morality, a new ethic and turn its back on corruption of the very type we are trying to uproot now.” How simplistic can this man be? The ‘No Vacancy’ position would have been justified if Oyegun had carefully highlighted Buhari’s major achievements instead of rambling about 12 million votes, which left his party leader hanging in the sun to roast in the 2011 presidential election. He forgot so soon that thunder would have struck twice in 2015 but for the powerful coalition that stopped the PDP in its stride.

    Do we then say that Oyegun now derides that coalition as insignificant should these members decide to move to another party? How forgetful can some people be? In any case, has Oyegun gone back to the region that produced the 12 million votes for Buhari to access the ratio of those who would still stand by his candidacy after 17 months of deferred dreams? Could he be suggesting that no other Nigerian is eminently qualified to contest for the Presidency should Buhari turn down his plea to re-contest after his fasting and prayer bid? I do not know if Oyegun has taken anything away from the outcome of the American election since he granted the above interview to a national daily some few weeks back. If he has not, then the right time to do it is now. There is a big lesson to learn from the Trump victory. It is one that should humble all those who walk with the swagger of invincibility.

    Trump did not win because he was the most loved among the candidates. He won because he played his politics right and tapped into the sentiments of disgruntled citizens who were fed up with the establishment that is long on words and short on deliveries. If he looks back, he would see that more Nigerians are getting more impatient about the Buhari administration’s promise to turn things around. The ethnic divide and mutual suspicions, which have always defined our perception of governance, have deepened due to a rash of appointments that favour a particular section of the country. Therefore, it is not an impossibility that millions of the silent majority fervently wait to give a dose of the Trump treatment. Hillary Clinton’s defeat, in spite of Obama’s approval rating which was 55 per cent before the November 8 election, should send warning signals to those who relish empty triumphalism while quoting figures that may jolly well amount to an unexpected defeat! The time for some deep retrospect is now. But would the APC take that bold step of readjusting itself to the wailing anguish of despair in the land as the first act of a redemptive process? Only time will tell.

  • God raised Buhari to save Nigeria from collapse, says Oyegun

    God raised Buhari to save Nigeria from collapse, says Oyegun

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC),Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, yesterday called  President Muhammadu Buhari God-sent to save Nigeria from collapse.

    Oyegun spoke  at the opening of a three-day retreat organized by the Kano State Chapter of the party  in Sokoto for its officials and stakeholders on political party management.

    “Buhari was God-sent at the most crucial time in Nigeria’s history,” Odigie-Oyegun said.

    “He inherited a comatose economy and he has been strenuously working to deliver on his campaign promises centred on the economy, security and fighting corruption.

    “Insurgency has been tamed, while the issues of militancy and other related security challenges were being diligently attended to by the President.”

    The APC chairman   also said that the President was being frugal with every kobo accruing  to the nation, saying that the economy would soon bounce back.

    The party national chairman said that no patriotic Nigerian would object to the way Buhari is uniquely tackling corruption.

    “Buhari is generally working tirelessly to make Nigeria a better place for all Nigerians,” he said.

    Oyegun stressed the need for internal democracy as well as ensuring the supremacy of the party.

    Kano Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said that the retreat was organised for stocktaking on the achievements, problems and to chart the way forward.

     Ganduje said the APC in Kano was still united and indivisible.

    Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State said the retreat would help to keep the party on the right track.

    Tambuwal said: “This is to ensure that government is properly adjusted in the interest of the common people.”

    Alhaji Kawu Sumaila, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, restated that governors of the party were its due leaders in the states.

  • Oyegun: Wrecking APC from within

    Oyegun: Wrecking APC from within

    The APC chairman has proven to be a most unique man.  John Oyegun’s reply to what was revealed about his malfeasant handling of the Ondo primaries shows but one thing: he has decided that he is better served by continuing his romance with misdirection and falsehood. While these slick tools may be useful to Oyegun’s ulterior designs, they ill-suit the interests of the APC and of the electorate which the party is meant to serve.

    As it appears, Oyegun is willing to dash the ideals and the institutions of the party in order to advance some hidden agenda in stark opposition to the progressive goals upon which it was founded. His response is that of a guilty man who has hired a legal pettifogger to manufacture what seem like sound arguments but which are really anything but sound.

    Attempting to lend the image of formality and honesty to his misdeeds, Oyegun’s hired lawyers’ who drafted his response as if some sort of legal brief. Again, Oyegun submits himself to the false belief that form outweighs substance. Yet, a well-dressed lie is no closer to the truth than the most naked falsehood.

    In his submission, Oyegun claims that we somehow imagined there was an NWC vote to cancel the flawed primary. Those who do not read closely will be tricked by Oyegun’s verbal indiscretion. However, those accustomed to his methods will read carefully and find the warts on his statement. Oyegun claims the minutes of the emergency NWC meeting which spanned from Monday September 19 to Thursday September 22 shows that no such vote was taken. Something is patently wrong with this.

    The four-day meeting was called specifically to discuss the flawed Ondo primary. Yet, Oyegun’s claims that for nearly a week he did not table a vote for the NWC to clearly decide whether the NWC would attach its official stamp to the flawed primary or reject it. Based on his own words, either Oyegun admits to being so grossly incompetent as a chairman of a national party that he could not steer the NWC to a simple vote or that he was engaged in a game of subterfuge that would not permit a straightforward yes-or-no vote on the central issue.

    Showing his penchant to mislead, Oyegun writes that the “according to the minutes of the meeting” there was no such vote.  If the vote did not take place, why doesn’t Oyegun just say no vote took place? That is how an honest man with nothing to hide would have replied. Not Oyegun. He dare not say that he did not hold the vote. Instead, he hides behind the words his lawyers gave him to say to deceive an unsuspecting public.  If he has nothing to conceal, there would be no reason to have to resort to the awkward phrase, “according to the minutes of the…meeting.”

    Here, we get to the core of Oyegun’s trickery. Oyegun approved the use of the tampered delegates list. Oyegun unilaterally submitted the name of Rotimi Akeredolu as the party candidate although, according to his own admission, no vote was held. If Oyegun can be an active party to inserting over 150 fraudulent names in delegate roster and can ignore the stated wishes of the NWC majority, it is but a minor chore for him to doctor the NWC minutes as a way to cover his larger wrongs. He thus points to the minutes to give the appearance of following correct procedure. What he forgets to say is that falsifying minutes of a meeting is a small thing for a person helping to engineer the thief of an entire state primary. If one is bold enough to steal a house, that same person will not wilt from falsifying the deed to it as well.

    In his statement, he says that an NWC member, who he does not name, mentioned some collateral decision taken by the NWC. Oyegun says the implication of that prior decision meant that the NWC wanted the primary result to stand as is. Thus, he took it upon himself and “ruled” to uphold the primary result. Again, he applies confusing words in order to cover-up the injury he caused.

    A careful examination of his words once more shows he is either supremely negligent or deeply crooked. There is no way a skilled or honest chairman would base such a momentous decision on what he infers from a prior vote not directly on point as to the core issue at hand.  What he admits to is taking it solely upon himself to assume that a vote on a lesser matter should preclude a vote on the central issue that led to the calling of the emergency session in first instance. He now claims the gift of clairvoyance.  He asks us to belief he can perfectly and conclusively determine how someone will vote based on a prior vote on a different issue. For this to be the logic upon which he relies, something is fatally wrong with his defence of his actions. Oyegun’s attempts to obfuscate are vain. His own words still hang him.

    Once more hiding behind his pettifoggers, Oyegun says he rejected the recommendation of the Appeals Committee because the committee said that the conduct of the overall primary was in “substantial compliance” with pertinent rules. Because he wished to steer the result to an appointed end that had nothing to do with the justice of the matter, Oyegun gave this phrase a meaning that its authors clearly did not intend. Reading the Appeals Committee report not as a loose amalgam of separate phrases but in its entirety as a coherent document in order to give it the true meaning intended, one can easily can the findings of the committee.

    The committee found that in most aspects of the exercise, the primary was well conducted. However, when it came to the validity the delegate list and of right of many on the list to actually vote as delegates, the process was too flawed to ignore. Due to these few yet material reasons, the committee determined the primary should be redone notwithstanding the otherwise proper aspects of the exercise. It is more than obvious that this is the intent of the committee. It is also more than obvious why Oyegun and his crude subordinates choose to ignore this interpretation which stared them right in the face.

    Oyegun and his lawyers thus disobeyed the first rule of interpretation when they failed to give true measure to the document in its entirety. Instead, they decided to hang their hat on a single this phrase taken out of context. This is what people do when trying to conceal something or to trick people. This is not the behaviour of one seeking fair play and honest dealings.

    Oyegun stands alone in defence of his actions and in calling our submission a product of wild imaginings. Funny, Oyegun takes no issue with and seems purposefully not to mention the statements of NWC member Chief Pius Akinyelure and acting National Publicity Secretary Timi Frank.

    If Oyegun is right, he would confront them. Instead he ignores their accounts in hope that the public will ignore them as well. Akinyelure attended the meeting and refuted Oyegun’s version of events to its core. The accounts of these two prominent APC members are consistent and track with what we have said. In his statement, Akinyelure affirmed that the delegate list was unilaterally altered by the National Organising Secretary without informing the NWC until after the primary. This exposes Oyegun’s claim about the propriety of the list as the bare lie it is. Evidently, Oyegun knew of the secretary’s actions beforehand; yet, for reasons known to Oyegun, decided not to tell the rest of the NWC until after the misdeed had achieved its desired result.

    Chief Akinyelure further refutes Oyegun by affirming that the majority of the NWC accepted the Election Appeal Committee report as credible. The majority of NWC members wanted to cancel the result and redo the primary, says Akinyelure. He stated the NWC had voted by a six to five margin to submit an interim, or substitute name to INEC as place-holder while the party redid the flawed primary. However, Oyegun would not adhere to the position of the NWC majority.

    Akinyelure has publicly stated that Oyegun and his accomplice, the National Organising Secretary, submitted Akeredolu’s name to INEC in open defiance of the NWC.  Akinyelure also has stated that the majority of NWC members support his account of events. No wonder that Oyegun did not dare respond to what Akinyelure and Frank, as participants and eyewitnesses, have said of him.

    Oyegun may shed an actor’s tears about the damage to his reputation and feign indignation. Yet, the wise and prudent can see through the veil he casts. His theatrics are unavailing. Any damage to his reputation is self-inflicted. If there is any insult he feels, it is not a sentiment derived from being innocent; it is the anger of one caught amidst his bad acts.

    In all of this his personal feelings are of secondary import. As chairman, he has done more damage to the party than are most ardent opponents. He has made a mockery of the internal processes of the party. He has helped impose a candidate in Ondo that the vast majority of our members stridently oppose. The stealth-like imposition of this unpopularity further intensifies this internal objection. John Oyegun, your agenda, we do not know and cannot fathom. But we do know that your agenda is not that of the party that so many progressive and democratic Nigerians have sacrificed to build.

    As long as you remain chairman, the weakening of the APC is mostly assured. If there is a single fibre of decency in your being, you would resign forthwith so that those who care may rescue this party and return it to its true and proper democratic course.

  • ‘Why Oyegun should apologise to Tinubu’

    ‘Why Oyegun should apologise to Tinubu’

    Hon. Tajudeen Ajide is the former past chairman of Surulere Local Government, in Lagos. The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain is one of the delegates from Lagos that voted for John Odigie-Oyegun during the APC convention Abuja, where he emerged as national chairman. In this interview with reporters in Lagos, he spoke on the face-off between Oyegun and the APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and other issues.

    Surulere is to home to a number of leading progressive politicians. But, it lost some grounds during the last general elections…  

    Surulere has always been a hub for educated elites and progressives and have taken active part in Lagos politics since inception. While some of them are still with us, a good number have left the flesh. Though there are lots of things we need to work on, Surulere still remains a vital force in Lagos politics. In the whole of Central Lagos, there are 13 local governments and Surulere has the largest voting power. In the last governorship election, the voting power of Surulere was 53,000. This figure is significant in the sense that it could decide a lot in a state. So, power still resides in Surulere. Nevertheless, we need to restructure, because our youths are not so much interested in the voting capacity, rather than just to pick up the crumbs.

    Why was the election a difficult one for the APC in the area?

    Before the elections, we relied so much on the performance of Senator Oluremi Tinubu and her popularity and what she did in her first term. We did not take into cognisance the voting components, particularly those that have the voting rights. Instead of concentrating on people that have the voting right, we did not, and that is one of the things we are addressing now. We are working as a team to ensure that it never happens again. In the first election (that of the House of Representatives), we scored 23,000 and the PDP scored 27,000. That is a deficit of 4000. That brought us to the second election, which we also lost. So, in losing those two elections, we had to address the issue and some of us were given the opportunity to work together before that governorship election, and that was how we were able to get 53,000 from Surulere.

    For instance, I am in Constituency 1, but I had to work with Constituency 2, with the help of the leadership of Chief Adenekan and co. In fact, I insisted that we should form a committee that should include all those components that were neglected; the CDC, the CDA, the artisans (those in the informal sector), the Imams and the Christian Association. So, we started going to them and it took a lot of sacrifice, money wise and sleepless night, to surpass the PDP.

    In your view, what is the way forward in the face-off between Tinubu and Oyegun?   

    You have to appreciate the way Asiwaju Tinubu has been leading the party. I think I can say one or two things about how Chief Oyegun emerged as National Chairman. I could remember that fateful day of the convention in Abuja. It was a tough day. The governors had their candidate and, you know, a good leader should be able to see beyond the present and Asiwaju has that wisdom. He saw that it would be disastrous to allow the governors to have their way, because it could repeat itself during the presidential primary. So, the national leaders suggested Oyegun and he stood by him. He fought tooth and nail to ensure that Oyegun got elected. That is the hallmark of leadership. We left Lagos with the aim of voting for candidates of our choice, but on getting to Abuja, we met a divided party. But, Asiwaju was able to reconcile all the parties before coming out into the open. That is why the Yoruba has this adage, Opo laye ti n suwon,  ko to de gbangba (You must resolve within before it comes into the open). Let me tell you this, we did not start the convention until 3.45 am; the rain came down and Asiwaju was seated there until the end and the Lagos contingent stood there with him. From morning till night, we were there and there was nothing to eat. We stood by Oyegun and it took a lot for others to accept Oyegun. Sadly, the same man is treating his National Leader, that same man that fought for him and stood by him this way.

    What do I expect from Oyegun? I expect him to go to his National Leader, rather than resorting to the pages of newspapers.

    Talking about loyalty, it is said that you are not loyal to one of your leaders in Surulere, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila…

    My relationship with Hon. Gbajabiamila is cordial. He is my leader and will remain so. Let me tell you what loyalty means; it is consenting to whatever your leaders want; it is not going to pages of newspapers to ridicule him. The issue that came between us is the antics of a group of people that do not believe in reforms. They believe that we should just collect money and share. They would go and tell him things, but it is up to me to continue to demonstrate the best character and let him understand that the things they told him were untrue. I must continue to appeal to his conscience. That ‘look this is how it is’. We started together from the scratch and I’ve been a part of all his elections. In the last election, we won the 27 polling booths in my area convincingly. I am proud to say that. It is a disgrace to those that want to destroy that good relationship.

  • APC youths to Oyegun: you betrayed our confidence

    APC youths to Oyegun: you betrayed our confidence

     

    Youths of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the aegis of Progressive Youth Leagues (PYL), have accused the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, of betraying their confidence in him.

    A statement yesterday by their spokesman Adeleke Abdulhakeem accused the APC chairman of fooling Nigerians with his response to the statement by APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    The statement reads: “Last Friday (October 7), the National Chairman of APC, Pa. Oyegun, responded to the allegations levelled against him by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. But, sadly after about a fortnight, Pa. Oyegun could not come up with clear, detailed and cogent statements or even accept the fact that he made a grievous mistake. He tried to refute those allegations with his well articulated ‘facts’ but in a truthful sense what he called ‘the facts’ are actually the fallacies.

    “Perusing Pa. Oyegun’s response to the allegations levelled against him by Asiwaju, a lot of fabricated and specious statements were uncovered and these have successfully aroused questions that only Pa. Oyegun can entertain.

    “Pa Oyegun claimed that he did not use prayer interlude to secretly excuse himself from the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting for the purpose of submitting Rotimi Akeredolu’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the fact is he left the meeting after he vetoed the Appeal Committee’s recommendation. Come to think of it: the primaries took place on September 3. Why did the party wait till September 19 before holding the meeting that ended on September 22, the last day for the submission of the party’s candidate?

    “Pa Oyegun even brushed aside brilliant suggestion by the National Youth Leader, Dasuki Jalo, that the party should submit an interim name to INEC, pending the time a political solution would be found to the matter. This singular suggestion by the National Youth Leader would have saved the party from the crisis it is experiencing.

    “Pa Oyegun fallaciously said: ‘Voting on the issue became unnecessary and never took place in view of the NWC’s rejection of the Appeal Committee’s report.’ But the Southsouth Vice Chairman Eta Hilliard has relayed the true picture of what transpired in the Ondo primaries by saying in a report: ‘(At) that meeting, there were two reports before the NWC: that of the Appeal Committee was voted on.’

    “That Pa. Oyegun claimed that there was no voting during the NWC meeting is a blatant fallacy, because the the last two NWC meetings were clearly recorded and the record shows the contributions of each and every member of the NWC present at the meetings.

    “The Southwest National Chairman, Chief Pius Akinyelure, also confirmed the statement by Hilliard that the NWC actually voted. The well orchestrated lies by Pa. Oyegun, in a bid to redeem his personality that has been defamed with a lot of anti-party actions and in actions and gross misconducts in the Ondo APC primaries, cannot hold water because we are not fools. That will fall for every cooked-up cheap fallacies.”

  • ‘Oyegun should resign to save APC’

    ‘Oyegun should resign to save APC’

    Chief Jackson Lakan-Ojo, the National Coordinator of the Yoruba Youth Alliance (YYA), is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State. He spoke with reporters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on the disagreement among top party leaders over the controversial governorship primary in Ondo State and other national issues. Assistant Editor GBADE OGUNWALE was there.

    What do you make of the disagreement among the APC leaders and the call for the resignation of the national chairman?

    The present brouhaha engulfing the APC is not a good development at this critical time. The national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s advice that the national chairman, Chief Oyegun, should resign should not be over amplified by the media as the call could simply mean a very good correctional advice to the chairman. It is an internal affair of our great party and we can employ internal mechanism to settle the matter. Honestly, no man can build house or join others to build an estate and relax when someone is trying to crack the walls. I want to appeal to our national leadership to wade into the matter and settle it before some members of the APC use it to cause implosion. This should not be a political feud. rather, it should be how to correct the insecurity and revive our nation’s economy. We should not allow the almost buried PDP to make the APC a laughing stock.

    What should be the role of the APC in the crisis over budget padding in the National Assembly?

    If the national leadership of the APC and Mr. President do not want the world to see them as leading a party that contains a bunch of criminals, the APC should exonerate itself from this and let the law take its course. This matter has now gone beyond the APC. It has gone beyond Nigeria; it is a global matter now. The number four citizen of this country is accused of a financial crime and we want to treat it as a party matter? At the end of the day, honestly, the APC will discredit itself and you know the PDP will use it against them and the world will buy it as cheap as akara. Unnecessary interference in this matter will paint the APC black. The whole world has known that these people padded the budget, but they did it very technically. It is not that they added money. Whatever Mr. President submitted was what he got, but when 10 items are there, seven will be there, but the money for that 10 will be made to be for the seven. So, at the end of the day it is what we called ‘wuruwuru’ to the answer in secondary school. You get the answer right but you don’t get the calculation right. That is exactly what has happened. So to me, this thing is a test for Mr. President and to the APC as a party and if Mr. President fails this test and the APC fails this test, even some of us will not have any alternative than to begin to attack the government and the party. When the PDP lost the trust of Nigerians, it lost the 2015 elections that is it.

    Some Nigerians view what is happening in the National Assembly as part of the struggle for 2019. What is your take?

    Well, some people may look at it and say 2019 is the cause of all these. But I don’t want to agree with that. This is a positive crisis because any crisis that will bring about transparency to rebuild the battered economy, I think it is very good. In the past, things like this would happen but a leader of the PDP will come out and say it’s a family affair. Now Mr. President will not say let me take sides with  anyone because he will support my course in 2019. In a normal clime, somebody like Yakubu Dogara would have thrown in the towel. The country is in recession and the Rep members were on recess for over a month and the major issue during the first legislative day was putting on muffler and singing support for Dogara the Speaker who should have ordinarily resigned and tender an open apology to the country. This is the worst assembly in the history of Nigeria’s democracy. It is over to the EFCC to intervene and this will be a litmus test for the government and the EFCC as the entire world is watching whether they will sweep this under the carpet and also if Jubrin will be witch-hunted for opening the can of worms.

    How can the APC put its house in order ahead of 2019?

    We are in government now and by 2017, we shall be approaching 2019 gradually and we shall begin to witness series of alignments and re-alignments, cross-carpeting of members from their temporary political parties to where they actually belong. There is no crisis in the APC presently, but I foresee a very serious implosion except things are done well to carry along all the members according to the blocks that formed the party. The PDP may not survive becoming one party again as they are presently rocked with both explosion and implosion. I foresee a break-up that will bring about a new political party but Nigerians will not quickly give it votes. The two factors that can stop the 2019 elections may be lack of funds. If the economy is not salvaged and the nonchalant attitude of INEC is not checked. If I have my way, I would recommend the dissolution of the present INEC board. Coming out of 2019 general elections to declare presidential election inconclusive may lead to a serious crisis. An INEC that could not run a constituency election smoothly should not be seen as a reliable umpire. They are a bunch of failures that should not be trusted.

    The general belief now is that the APC government can’t deliver, considering the state of the economy. What is your view?

    Nigerians are complaining bitterly about the present economic downturn that has gradually brought us down the bottom of the ladder. Since I became an adult, I have not witnessed a sad economic situation like we have at present. Companies are closing down, goods in supermarkets are getting expired because of lack of patronage and begging is being done openly not only in the streets. Petty thieves stealing pot of hot soup are rampant in the neighborhood. Honestly, things are terrible presently and if the situation continues, we are gradually inviting high level of both petty and high profile criminality. The solution is not the issue of APC as the ruling party. If Mr. President wants to listen to the voice of wisdom, he should sack some of his key ministers who are presently not performing and clueless in their various ministries. We are tired of clueless ministers, we are tired of decorative ministers. They have been tested and they have failed woefully. Mr. President had good intentions nominating them and Senate also did well by giving them clearance but enough of this experiment. All inclusive government is needed now as Nigeria can parade an array of best economic experts of global repute. Mr. President should look beyond the party. His efforts should focus on fighting corruption and let us rebuild the economy that was trickily and cunningly handed over by the past profligate and kleptomaniac regime of the PDP. The issue on ground as regards the economy is just like a situation where public water reservoir is perforated and leaking profusely and a leader comes around to stop the leakages to enable the public enjoy the water. The reservoir must be locked during the rehabilitation period. Definitely, the water supply must temporarily cease and if the people can bear the situation, water will flow well for the benefit of all after the repairs. President Buhari is facing these repairs of our massive economic leakages now and we must bear with him for some time as there is light at the end of the tunnel.

    What is your assessment of national security at the moment?

    National security at the moment is very fragile but it is very simple to bring to normalcy if the political will is there and proper approach is employed. Apart from the notorious Boko Haram that gave birth to Fulani herdsmen, every other security challenge we are facing is regional agitation, appointment lopsidedness or economic downturn. If for example, the federal government can face the Niger-Delta today and begin to solve their problems gradually with all seriousness, the Avengers, MEND and any other militant group in the region will close shops to embrace peace. That will bring about development. The agitation for a Biafra Republic is purely an agitation for recognition. If the federal government can invest in technology in the South-East, in a very short time this country will do better than Japan or China. If you are comfortable in your father’s large compound I doubt if you would want to break up. The other categories of insecurity we are facing now are the rampant kidnapping and robbery which are simply caused by the joblessness and dwindling economy in the land. If Nigeria’s economy bounces back tomorrow, insecurity will become history. As a matter of fact, I have said this several times but if you are not in government in Nigeria, they will never listen to you. I have said it that access routes to this country through the North-East and part of Northwest are porous. As many of our neighbouring countries speak Hausa and Fulani very fluently. They dress exactly like our brothers in these zones, they have the same religious practice like our people and they freely inter-marry. So they gain entry into our territory without any hindrance. Most of them pretend to be coming for trading whereas they have hidden agenda. They must have overpowered our traditional Fulani herdsmen and unlawfully inherited their cows and move around the country to perpetrate all these satanic acts. I believe that our traditional Fulani herdsmen who have for over hundred years been maintaining peaceful coexistence amongst other Nigerians cannot just change their mentality overnight. But we politicise everything all the time in Nigeria. We have not formed the habit of trouble shooting.

    The federal government is considering the possibility of selling some of the nation’s assets to caution the effect of the economic recession. What do you make of this?

    Aliko Dangote, calling for the sale of federal government assets and swiftly being supported by the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki is an ominous sign and signal that some people are already nursing the idea of buying this country for their private economic gains. It is like selling your house to your tenants and turning back to be a tenant even when the property is still viable just because you are temporarily out of physical cash. Nigerians from all walks of life should rise and resist this satanic advice by Dangote, Saraki and their cohorts. Nigerians should join hands with the government and bring positive advice on how to bring out our economy from its ailing condition.

  • Oyegun to Tinubu: let’s unite for Ondo poll

    Oyegun to Tinubu: let’s unite for Ondo poll

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) said yesterday it had commenced wide consultation with major stakeholders of the party to address the bad blood generated by the party’s recent governorship primaries in Ondo State.

    APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, whose handling of the dispute drew flak from the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, called for truce yesterday.

    He stressed the need for the APC to go into the election as a united body instead of dissipating energy on issues that could be resolved with the aid of the party’s internal mechanism.

    Oyegun who also responded to Tinubu’s call to resign for allegedly overruling the APC National Working Committee (NWC) vote on the Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee Report said he felt insulted by the allegation.

    He said : “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.”

    He added: “On Thursday 22nd September, 2016, being the final day for submission of candidate by political parties, the NWC discussed the possibility of voting, having finished deliberation on the 2016 Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee Report because members in support of cancelling the primary results were still strident in their position.

    “A member of the NWC however drew the attention of the meeting to its previous decision in which the report of the Primary Election Committee was adopted while the Appeal Committee was set aside.

    “The implication of this decision, he reasoned, was that a decision to submit the name of the winner of the primary election was already taken unless the NWC will now wish to reconsider its earlier decision. I agreed with this and ruled that the previous decision of the NWC be upheld.

    “The Ondo State approved delegates list was compiled in strict compliance with the party’s constitution. Only qualified delegates were included in the list.

    “Moreso, none of the aspirants or the Appeal Committee has submitted to NWC a list of delegates who were not qualified to be included in the delegates list but were listed as delegates or presumed qualified delegates who were not included in the delegates list used for the primary.”

    On the allegation that he used the period of prayer interlude to excuse himself and went to submit the name of Akeredolunto INEC, he said the “allegation is high fiction and an insult to the intelligence and sensibility of the respected NWC members present at the meeting.

    “We do not and have never engaged in prayer interludes/sessions outside the usual opening and closing prayers. The prayer that is being referred to must be the closing prayer for the meeting.”

    On the allegation of corruption, he said: “Nobody has the kind of money that can buy my conscience or make me do injury to an innocent man.

    “In all the primaries conducted under my watch as National Chairman, I have strived to ensure a free, fair, transparent and credible process.

    “The 2016 Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election was not an exception. There must be internal democracy in the party and our constitution must be respected by all.

    “The Party’s NWC decision to reject the 2016 Ondo State APC Governorship Primary Election Appeal Committee Report was taken on Tuesday, September 20, 2016 in executive session after careful and exhaustive deliberations. The minutes and rejection were confirmed by the NWC on Thursday, September 22, 2016.

    “The NWC in its four-point resolution rejected the Appeal Committee’s recommendation on the grounds that the report was fundamentally and fatally flawed.

    “The NWC observed that the Appeal Committee contradicted itself when it admitted in its report, ‘In making the above recommendations one is not unmindful of the fact that there may have been substantial compliance in the conduct of the exercise.’ but still proceeded to recommend the nullification of the primary election.

    “The NWC in its four-point resolution faulted the failure of the Appeal Committee to invite the National Secretariat as the custodian, to authenticate or otherwise the source of the disputed delegates list.

    “Also, the Appeal Committee did not invite the Chairman or members of the Ondo State Governorship Primary Election Committee to clarify issues relating to the allegation of manipulation of the accreditation process.

    “The Appeal Committee rather relied totally on unsubstantiated evidence(s) in the petitions it received to recommend the nullification of the primary. This is against the principle of natural justice and fair hearing.

    “The NWC equally observed a serious contradiction in the Appeal Committee’s report in respect of the number of the accredited delegates. Whereas the Primary Election Committee’s report indicated that 2,774 delegates were accredited, the Appeal Committee’s report erroneously recorded it as those who voted in the election, thereby acting under the false impression that there was over-voting in the exercise. The actual total number of votes cast was 2,754, as clearly recorded in the Primary Election Committee’s report.

    “The issue of fresh primaries did not arise as NWC had already rejected the Appeal Committee’s report in view of the stated flaws and upheld the election. In any case, any fresh primary was already time barred. By the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all governorship primaries and issues related ended on September 19, 2016.

    “Also, voting on the issue became unnecessary and never took place in view of the NWC’s rejection of the Appeal Committee’s report.

    “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.

    “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.

    “The APC national leadership remains united and solidly committed to the task of winning the Ondo state governorship election to save the people of the state from the misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).”

  • ‘How Oyegun, Buni, Izunaso rigged Ondo APC primary’

    ‘How Oyegun, Buni, Izunaso rigged Ondo APC primary’

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman (Southwest) Chief Pius Akinyelure has explained how the party’s governorship primary was manipulated, culminating in the submission of Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s candidate.

    Akinyelure, in a statement detailing how the primary election was rigged, named the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Secretary Mai Mala Buni and the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, as the persons behind the act.

    The statement, which the APC National Vice Chairman said enjoys the support of six National Working Committee (NWC) members, accused the trio of using NWC meetings to usurp powers and unilaterally take decisions that their offices did not give them the power to take.

    It emerged that as many as three delegates’ lists for the election were in circulation at some point after the first list was tampered with.

    Izunaso, according to the statement, single-handedly removed, added or substituted names on the initial list circulated to the party’s 24 aspirants, leading to the emergence of a second list that was altered in favour of Akeredolu.

    His action enjoyed the support of Oyegun and Buni, even when other members of the NWC opposed it because it conflicted with the party’s rules.

    Akinyelure’s statement reads: “The National Organising Secretary confirmed to the NWC meeting of Monday September 19, 2016 that he actually received objections from some of the aspirants as to the delegates’ list. Then he unilaterally made the adjustments as he deemed fit.

    “It is emphasised that the National Organising Secretary performed these adjustments without recourse or reference to the NWC. The NWC was not appraised of his actions before the primary. The National Organising Secretary then issued this altered list to the Primary Election Committee for use in the conduct of the election.

     

    “This altered list became available to some of the aspirants in the early hours of the election day (September 3, 2016). When the election process was about to commence, Chief Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and three other aspirants protested and raised objections as to the delegates’ list to the election committee.

    “However, the committee members could not address it as it was not within their competence to do so. They went ahead with the conduct of the election.  After the declaration of the results of the election by the election committee, three aspirants petitioned the Election Appeal Committee, alleging discrepancies and the alteration of the delegates’ list provided to them by the election committee and other irregularities.

    “Consequent on the above, the NWC of the party received both the Election Committee and the Election Appeal Committee’s reports, which were tabled at the NWC meeting of Monday, September 19, 2016.”

    A decision by the NWC to submit the name of an interim substitute to INEC as place holder until a fresh primary was conducted suffered a setback after Oyegun, Buni and Izunaso “blindsided the other members to submit Akeredolu’s name in spite of a six to five votes in favour of presenting the substitute name”.

     

     

  • No rift with Tinubu, says Oyegun

    No rift with Tinubu, says Oyegun

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun yesterday said he would not resign his appointment based on newspaper reports.

    Party stalwart Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had called for Oyegun‘s resignation over his role in the emergence of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as the party’s candidate in the November 26 Ondo State governorship election.

    Tinubu claimed that Odigie-Oyegun over-ruled the decision on the report of a panel, which recommended the conduct of a fresh primary. He called for Odigie-Oyegun’s removal to allow internal democracy return to the party.

    But Odigie-Oyegun said there were procedures to be followed before he could resign.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

    He said: “There is no rift with Asiwaju; we have difference of opinion, difference of perception and I think that is normal. Yes, I agree that the nature of the statement was a bit harsh.

    “The methods of getting rid of a national chairman, if that is what I will call it, are spelt out in the constitution; they don’t take place on the pages of newspapers.

    Asked why the party is not calling a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) on the issue, he said: “It’s proper for them to meet and they will meet at the appropriate time.

    On the allegation that he was behind some youths protesting at APC headquarters against alleged Tinubu’s high handedness, he said: “God forbid; anybody who knows me knows that that is not my style. I’m equally shocked and I’m going to look into it and find out  why and who is behind it.”

    Asked if his smiles with Tinubu at President Muhammadu Buhari’s biography presentation in Abuja on Monday was genuine, he said: “Do they know how far back our association goes? Do they know that we were in the trenches together in the NADECO days? Why can’t people who have mutual respect for each other have different opinions?

    “All we had was difference of opinions; yes it was expressed a bit harshly but that doesn’t remove the basic fact that we have worked together for a very long time,” the chairman said.

    On the Ondo primaries, he said: “What happened is in the report of the chairman of the primaries committee.”

    Asked if he was making a U-turn on the Ondo primary because of the controversy, Odigie-Oyegun said only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could order a u-turn.

    “It is only INEC that can make a U-turn on Ondo,” he said.

    To Odigie-Oyegun, the Edo State governorship election was hard fought.

    He said: “Two things really; it was more of a referendum first on the performance of the governor; second on the quality of our candidate and, most importantly, given the economic situation, it was an opportunity for us to measure the continued popularity and acceptability of our president.

    “And what it indicated is that by and large, the people of this country still have faith, confidence in the fact that if there is any one man that can fix their situation, it is President Muhammadu Buhari.”

  • I have no rift with Tinubu – Oyegun

    I have no rift with Tinubu – Oyegun

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, on Tuesday said there is no rift with the party National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    Oyegun also said he will not resign as APC chairman based on newspapers’ reports.

    Tinubu had called for Oyegun’s resignation over his role in the emergence of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as the party’s candidate in the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.

    The ex- Lagos State governor had claimed that Oyegun over-ruled a panel set up by the party which recommended the conduct of a fresh primary.

    He therefore called for the party chairman’s removal in order to allow internal democracy to return to the party.

    But Oyegun said on Tuesday that there are procedures to be followed for such resignation to happen.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja.

    Although he agreed that there are disagreements on the Ondo primary, he denied any rift with Tinubu.

    He said: “There is no rift with Asiwaju we have difference of opinion, difference of perception and I think that is normal. Yes, I agree that the nature of the statement was a bit harsh.

    “The method of getting rid of a national chairman if that is what I will call it, are spelt out in the constitution. They don’t take place on the pages of newspapers.

    Asked why the party is not calling for the National Executive Committee to meet on the issues, he said: “it’s proper for them to meet and they will all meet at the appropriate time.”