All Progressives Congress, APC, Lagos State chapter, has faulted the handling of the fallout of Ondo State governorship primary by the party’s National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun.
The party’s spokesman, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in a statement Thursday said the party chief erred by sidetracking the views of other members of the National Working Committee, NWC, who reviewed the report of the appeal panel raised to review the controversial primary.
The spokesman alleged that Odigie-Oyegun was economical with the truth in his ‘belated’ explanations on why the leadership stuck to the choice of Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as its flag bearer in the November 26 governorship poll in the ‘Sun Shine State’.
According to him, contrary to what is expected of a party leader, the chairman manipulated the nomination process to favour the former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) chairman, who he described as Odigie-Oyegun’s preferred man for the job.
His words: “Odigie- Oyegun approved the use of the tampered delegates’ list. Odigie-Oyegun unilaterally submitted the name of Akeredolu as the party’s candidate, although according to his admission, no vote was held.”
Igbokwe said the chairman’s explanations to justify his actions on the Ondo primary election, the appeal panel report and the NWC decision, were not only belated, but full of contradictions.
“The four-day meeting (of NWC) was called specifically to discuss the flawed Ondo primary. Yet Odigie-Oyegun claims that for nearly a week he did not table a vote for the NWC to clearly decide whether NWC would attach its official stamp to the flawed primary or reject it.
“Based on his own words, either Odigie-Oyegun admits to being grossly incompetent as a chairman of a national party that he could not steer the NWC to a simple vote or that he engaged in a game of subterfuge that would not permit a straightforward yes-or-no vote on the central issue.
“If you read Oyegun’s statement, he said that an NWC member (who he did name), mentioned some collateral decision taken by NWC. Odigie-Oyegun said the implication of that prior decision meant NWC wanted the primary to stand as it was. Thus, he took it upon himself and ‘ruled’ to uphold the primary result.”
Igbokwe said Odigie-Oyegun’s reliance on the minutes of NWC to justify his claim that members did not put the appeal panel recommendation to vote left much to be desired.
He said it was unbelievable that Odigie-Oyegun who chaired the NWC had to allude to a minute before recalling what transpired at the meeting.
“If the vote did not take place, why didn’t Odigie- Oyegun just say no vote took place? 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.’”
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