Oyegun bent on destroying APC before leaving office – Imo govt

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The Imo State Government has accused the embattled National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, of planning to destroy the ruling party before the end of his tenure.

The Imo government alleged that Oyegun had been conniving with “few undemocratic elements” within the APC to fan the embers of discord in the ruling party, particularly in the state. 

The state Commissioner for Information, Prof. Nnamdi Obiaraeri, said in an exclusive interview with our correspondent in Owerri, the state capital, that the APC was still confused because the members who connived with the outgoing national chairman, had been working to destroy the party under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to him, “The party is in quandary because of the activities of few undemocratic elements within the party and in obvious collision with the national leadership of the party, which has shown very clear contempt and disregard for the rule of law, internal party democracy and judicial authority.

He described the development as regrettable because, “APC is a party that is founded on the mantra of change.”

The commissioner, who is also in the race for the senatorial seat of the Okgiwe zone, described the current situation in the APC under Buhari’s leadership as disgraceful and unacceptable.

“The national leader of the party and the President of the country, Buhari, is a perfect disciplinarian, profound democratic and consistent adherent to the rule of law. So, it is a shame that under his watch, under his leadership that the outgoing national chairman of the party, Oyegun, is trying to destroy the party, particularly in Imo State, by giving vent and credence to members of the party that have no regard for the sanctity of votes of other members.”

He recalled that on May 5, there was supposed to be ward congress which did not hold because sensitive electoral materials were stolen.

The professor of law alleged that the national organising secretary with the then chairman of the party in the state, Hillary Ekeh, the officials sent to conduct the congress and the others were aware of the development.

“As if that was not enough, on the 12th of May again, there was a purported congress. By the 18th of May, aggrieved members of the party approached the court and secured an order of interim injunction to stop the party from taking any further action or process on the matter,” he said.

The commissioner further alleged that those who ganged up on the night of May 19 decided to conduct a dummy congress, which he said overwhelmed the national leadership of the party, “because what we see on paper and television is that a certain Hillary Ekeh has been inaugurated as the state chairman of the APC. This cannot carry because you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand.”

While describing the action as disgraceful and unacceptable, he said that despite the advice by the national legal adviser of the APC, the national leadership under Oyegun refused to allow the court to take a final decision on the matter, adding that the national leadership should have allowed members to abide by court decision on the matter.

“This is very regrettable for a party that is expected to be rule of law-compliant. The party in power is the party that should show the democratic pathway. Unfortunately, this has not been so under the national leadership,” he added.

For this reason, he disclosed that “Imo APC has to resort to doctrine of necessity. There is an acting chairman, Chris Oguoma, and the party is alive and well under the leadership of Governor Rochas Okorocha.”

He vowed that Imo APC under the acting chairman, Oguoma, would get justice on the matter, adding that Imo people would resist any attempt to upturn justice.

“Why will they be proud that they have stolen the Olympian Gold? Imo people will resist it. The moment they start with the plan to chat they are bound to fail.

“I am very surprised that those who are victims of 2014/2015 electoral mandate are now leading the gang.”