The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Timi Frank, has threatened to mobilize members of the party to stage a protest against the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, if he fails to convene an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting within the next 14 days.
Mr. Frank gave the warning in Abuja on Monday.
The deputy spokesman of the APC, who fielded questions from journalists on the crises rocking the party, said Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s call on Chief Odigie-Oyegun to resign for alleged compromises over Ondo State governorship primary election, had vindicated his struggle to save the party.
Frank said the NEC meeting was necessary to solve all crises, especially the Ondo crisis, which he noted, might affect the chance of the party during the election.
According to him, “APC supporters may sabotage the process if we do not bring all the aggrieved persons together. We should strategize to ensure victories in Edo and Ondo States”.
He blamed Mr. Odigie-Oyegun for the internal crises in National Assembly and States like Bayelsa, Kano, Kaduna, Kogi and Edo.
Frank, who voiced concerns that none of the decisions reached at the last APC NEC meeting had been implemented, likened the current case of Odigie-Oyegun to Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, whose late removal from office, he said, led to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defeat in the 2015 general elections.
“I am the first person to foresee what is happening. I said there were issues and crises. As at that time, I was alone. Nobody sees where I am coming from. He (Oyegun) has tried. But you can’t give what you don’t have. Oyegun can’t take this party to where it wants to get to. Is it not clear that there are crises? We have internal issues. They are now public issues.
“Nothing has been heard about the resolution to downsize the Board of Trustees (BoT) and form Elders Council. Oyegun is not bothered. We cannot run a party like a one-man show. Today, it is Tinubu who is speaking. More people will speak out. Those who keep quiet, what happened to Tinubu will happen to them. It seems as if we are not prepared to show that we are the ruling party.
“We should set up a committee where Tinubu will speak about the weighty allegations against Oyegun. He must call for an emergency NEC meeting if he has nothing to hide. If we can’t resolve it now, then we can’t resolve it again. I call on Oyegun to call for this meeting. It has shown that Oyegun can’t do the job. Mr President launched ‘Change Begins With Me’. The change has to start from the party. When people see change in our party, they will also emulate”, said Frank.
He, therefore, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to save the APC from collapse by uniting all members who are automatically loyal to him.
