BY ALLTIMEPOST.COM, WITH VANGUARD REPORT
Embattled National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has again come under the hammer of his predecessor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun who, on Tuesday accused him (Oshiomhole) of looking for scapegoats rather than focusing on his personal failings as the current party chairman.
It is the second time in less than 48 hours that the elder statesman is throwing a jab at Oshiomhole, the first being Monday when he absolved himself of allegations of being behind his successor’s current travails, describing the former labor leader and Edo State Governor as a master of the art of deception and author of confusion.
“Oshiomhole should not destroy what others had laboured to build. If he needs tutorial on how to run a party, he should ask for it civilly. John Oyegun will be more than happy to help”, the former chairman said.
Chief Odigie-Oyegun in the statement today, was reacting to an earlier statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu which described the erstwhile chairman’s era as a replica of the undisciplined and iniquitous style of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP. However, Ray Morphy, Public Affairs Adviser to Chief Odigie-Oyegun in the statement said his principal’s era was the golden era of the APC.
“The Oshiomhole Executive is about a year in office, why does he find it hard to function without looking for excuses and scape goats? It is common knowledge that Oshiomhole ran the most fraudulent primaries in the history of politics in Nigeria.
“Recall that INEC said so when it adjudged Oshiomhole primaries as the worst so far. The courts are saying the same thing today by upturning many APC primaries for being undemocratic and less than fair. Was it Oyegun who ran the primaries?”, he queried.
The statement noted that Chief Odigie-Oyegun, “an accomplished technocrat, a super permanent secretary, a former Governor, a man without blemish working with others, cobbled together creditably the legacy parties, and held them together with tact, diplomacy and finesse until Oshiomhole came along. To his credit, Oyegun did not lose one member of the party”.
While he said the former chairman, being an elder will not join issues with his successor, Morphy said it was absurd for the APC to have lost more States with all the resources at the disposal of Comrade Oshiomhole.
“As an elder, as a leader, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun will not join issues with those who apparently are casting about looking for excuses for their inability to manage a ruling party successfully. Indeed it is absurd to lose states with all the capacity at the disposal of the current Chair.
“Party members know that APC witnessed its golden years under the chairmanship of Oyegun and no one can change that bit of political history.
“By the way, the vote increase to Mr President is a reflection of the confidence the people repose in the President despite the fumbles of the Oshiomhole sole administratorship of the party!
“It will be recalled that Chief John Odigie-Oyegun just received The Zik award for Political Leadership alongside John Mahama, the former President of Ghana.
“In the award citation, he was extolled for exemplary political leadership of APC. Posterity has already given its verdict, Oyegun led the party to resounding victory. Oshiomhole should not destroy what others had laboured to build.
“If he needs tutorial on how to run a party, he should ask for it civilly. John Oyegun will be more than happy to help, after all, no man would like to see his son scatter what he had laboured to build”, he added.
