Fresh crisis has hit the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of its national convention.
This is as the South-South zone of the party has been divided following a controversial zonal meeting held in Benin, Edo State.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Odigie Oyegun has described as childish, Monday’s endorsement of former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the South-South consensus candidate for the office of National Chairman of the ruling party.
The convention has been fixed for May 14 with the position of national chairman retained in the south-south geopolitical zone.
Certain leaders of the party from the zone, led by its national vice-chairman, Hillard Eta at a meeting in Edo State pronounced Comrade Oshiomhole as the zone adopted candidate.
The resolution was however rejected by state chairmen of the party from Rivers, Akwa-Ibom and Bayelsa State, leaving the former Edo State Governor with the support of Edo State and scant backing from Cross Rivers and Delta.
Our correspondent revealed that Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and his counterpart, in the Ministry of Niger Delta, Pastor Usani Usani were absent at the meeting which took place at the Edo State Government House.
But speaking with newsmen yesterday at the APC National Secretariat, Chief Oyegun said the endorsement was “childish, absolutely childish. The voting Congress is done at the convention and not in State Houses, not in government houses.”
Oyegun said he was not bothered by the purported endorsement which he claimed was stage managed by the Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki.
“No, it doesn’t because one of those who want my job is from Edo and he was the immediate past Governor and he was very instrumental in installing the present governor, so I think it is a case of rub my back I rub your back that is playing out.
“They have their reasons for what they did and you have to respect their own reasons, however wrong it is. Don’t bother about this teaser, I will give a comprehensive interview, to speak with you people when the time comes.”
The APC chairman was however silent on whether he would be seeking for a fresh mandate in the forthcoming national convention.
“Well, I’m going to know when the convention committee announces their programmes, then when I’m going to buy a form if I will re-contest I will let you know.”
Further findings revealed that sale of forms for the respective offices will commence today.
In a video recorded after the meeting, APC chairmen from Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa, as well as some aggrieved zonal leaders, told reporters that whatever resolution reached at the South South zonal meeting was not binding on them.
They said the National Vice Chairman, South South, Ntufam Eta, of convened the meeting with the sole aim of getting an endorsement for a particular aspirant to the post of national chairman.
They said the national vice chairman does not have the power to convene any zonal meeting, without getting the clearance of the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, who is also from South South.
The Rivers State Chairman of the party, Chief Davies Ikanya, said, “The national vice chairman is from the zone. The national chairman is also from the zone. The national vice chairman cannot convene a meeting of the zone without the knowledge or approval of the national chairman.
“We were ambushed by the national vice chairman, to adopt a pre-conceived candidate he had already made up his mind about, based on whatever agreement.
“Even when someone raised a motion, asking him to disqualify himself from the meeting, having shown bias, he ignored it and sat there, and is now saying there was a decision. We want you to know that out of six states, four states are saying it was an ambush; it is not acceptable. There was no resolution.
“We have said every person is free to run for an election. We stand by the resolution of the NEC, that there is a waiver. The national chairman can re-contest if he so wishes. Anybody from the zone can contest. Whatever has come out of this meeting is a farce. It is not binding on anybody.
“It is null and void, because four states are saying no. Just one and half, Edo and some fraction of Delta, are the people saying they have a vote. This is not democracy. The majority view is that there was no consensus on any candidate.”
The Bayelsa State chairman, Tiwei Orunimighe aligned with the others, saying what happened was a fraud.
On his part, the Cross Rover chairman, Etim John, said, “As regards what happened here, I stand to dissociate myself. Whatever resolution so adopted is null and void.”
His Akwa Ibom state counterpart, Dr. Amadu Atai, said, “We came here to be ambushed by the national vice chairman. We, from Akwa Ibom State will not support any decision taken here today. Whatever decision taken today is out of context and we cannot accept it.”