CHIEF John Odigie-Oyegun, a former governor of Edo State, late last night, emerged new national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC).The opposition party finally settled for Odigie-Oyegun, after due consultations with party leaders and discussions with contending forces to persuade them to support his choice as new national chairman of the party.
It is believed that the national leader of the party, former Governor Bola Tinubu of Lagos State, played a key role in the emergence of Odigie-Oyegun as the new APC national chairman.
Two of Odigie-Oyegun's main contenders, former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva, said to be the choice of candidate of APC governors and Chief Sam Jaja, had earlier in the day stepped down for Odigie-Oyegun. Their decisions to back out of the race left the stage opened for Chief Tom Ikimi to slog it out in the contest for the slot of the national chairmanship with Odigie-Oyegun.
But it was gathered that the APC leadership had persuaded Ikimi, who appeared to be absent at the venue of the convention, to step down for Odigie-Oyegun, thus allowing him to emerge unopposed.
Other APC's national officers who emerged unopposed at its national convention are: Deputy Chairman, South, Segun Adebayo Oni; Deputy Chairman, North, Lawal Shuaibu; National Secretary, Alhaji Mai Mala Goni and National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed.
Though all emerged unopposed, the delegates who were still going through the ballot process to elect their officers were seen scampering for shelter as a result of heavy rain and wind which disrupted the voting process. Some of the ballot boxes were scattered by the heavy wind, while the canopy and the public address system were also destroyed by the rain.
The first National Convention of the main opposition party, the APC, held in Abuja on Friday amid crisis as the event which was slated for 2:00p.m. could not take off several hours after.
Party leaders were holed up in several hours of meetings trying to come up with a list of consensus candidates for all the posts, particularly that of the national chairman which had polarised the party into three camps.
Saturday Tribune observed that though the over 6,000 delegates as well as party leaders, including the party’s 16 state governors, aspirants and loyalists across the states of the federation were on the ground for the convention, various power brokers within the party were still holding meetings upon meetings on the way forward several hours after.
It was gathered that there was a serious contention among the governors and loyalists of a national leader of the party as to “who takes what and the future of the party.”
Saturday Tribune gathered that hours after the convention was expected to have been under way, a powerful caucus meeting was still in progress at the Sokoto State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro District, on the way forward. As this was going on, accreditation of delegates from the various states at the Eagle Square was marred by irregularities, while delegates from some states like Abia and Ebonyi were protesting what they described as manipulation of delegates’ list and seizure of accreditation materials. The delegates from the two states threatened to attack the trio of Governor Rochas Okorocha, Ogbonnaiya Onu and Senator Chris Ngige – whom they accused of marginalising them.
It took the intervention of Chief George Morghalu, a chieftain of the party, to calm them but they insisted no one would leave the secretariat of the convention without their accreditation. It was also gathered that the dream of a one time Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, of becoming the first National Chairman of the party was attacked, as the camp loyal to Senator Bola Tinubu reportedly vowed to quit if he (Ikimi) emerged (as chairman).
The three leading chairmanship aspirants were Ikimi, John Odigie-Oyegun and a former Bayelsa State governor, Timipre Sylva. While Tinubu was said to be the force behind Odigie-Oyegun, Sylva was enjoying the backing of most of the APC governors. Former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Senator Alli Modu Sheriff were behind Ikimi. It was, however, gathered that both Tinubu and the governors’ camps later worked together with a view to voting Oyegun in, so as to checkmate Ikimi at all cost.
A chieftain of the party told Saturday Tribune in confidence: “Sylva is no more a threat; but for Ikimi, we will stop him at all cost. If by error of commission or omission, he (Ikimi) is elected, all our officers will not only withdraw; we will quit the party.” The source said further, “With Ikimi as chairman, APC is finished. But we will not allow that to happen. If the governors accept Oyegun, then they will be compensated with the National Secretary and the Treasurer. The alliance may extend to the presidential convention.”
The convention proper eventually kicked off around 9.20pm after party leaders had made spirited attempts to save the party from what a source described as needless headaches. The convention was still underway at press time.
Party bigger than our personal aspirations – Atiku. Meanwhile, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar said on Friday that the interest of the party was bigger than the personal aspirations of its individual members. He, therefore, urged members to let national interest be uppermost in their hearts.
Atiku made the call in a message on Friday while welcoming delegates of the APC from the 36 states and the Federal Capital to the party’s inaugural convention. He said, “It is only a strong and viable APC that will provide a solid foundation for the aspirations of its members. “It is imperative for us all as members to put the interest of the party far and above our individual aspirations; because to do otherwise will be akin to putting the cart before the horse.”
Several groups canvassing support for Atiku Abubakar sent a strong message to other aspirants for the party’s presidential ticket at the Eagle Square, venue of the convention, on Friday as they stormed the venue with several buses and banners rallying support for him. Saturday Tribune observed that several buses decorated with the former vice-president’s pictures, and others in combination with that of General Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu, arrived the venue overnight, conveying thousands of party faithful.
Earlier in the day, the residence and offices of the former vice-president were literally besieged by thousands of supporters rooting for his candidature. But it was observed that none of the Atiku banners displayed by his supporters mentioned anything about 2015 presidential election.
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