OndoReporter | APC: Is Oyegun on his way out?

OndoReporter | APC: Is Oyegun on his way out?

FOR weeks now the polity has been awash
with speculations over the removal or
otherwise of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as the
national chairman of the All Progressives
Congress, APC.

With some party stakeholders said to have
been scheming to send the septuagenarian
former governor of Edo state packing, some
observers thought he was not going to return
as chairman when he decided to go on a 10-
day sick leave nearly three weeks ago.

To clear the air on the reason for his sudden
leave, Oyegun said he was ill and needed to
rest and quickly added he would come back.
“On Tuesday I was down with malaria, I
managed on Wednesday to attend that crucial
meeting at the presidency. Yesterday, I had to
go to the hospital just to be sure and today I
am at work, full stop. So please, please, please
I know the press is supposed to be
imaginative and steer the news but not when
there is really nothing to steer. It is that
simple...

“I have been chairman for how long now?
Going to two years, and it has been a very
intense period building the party and a very
intense period putting government together up
to this point. All that has happened is that I
think I deserve a bit of a break and that will
start effective Monday and in my absence, my
deputy here, Engr Segun Oni, will cover my
beat. It is that simple, it is that
straightforward. Any speculation about not
being in the office is of no consequence”, he
had said on February 26 while going on leave.
After 10 working days, Chief Oyegun resumed,
putting paid to earlier speculations about the
safety of his job.

However, there were fresh concerns, yesterday,
following the visit of the Secretary to the
Government of Federation, SGF, Engr. Babachir
David Lawal, to the chairman. That visit was
the second in seven days.

Unfortunately, rather than address media
concerns regarding the job of the chairman,
both men kept mute.

Vanguard learned that the closed-door meeting
with Pa Oyegun was to finalise arrangements
for next week’s all important meetings of the
party.

There are signals that the incumbent APC
national chairman may be asked to step down
during the meetings scheduled for next week.
The frequent visits of the SGF, it was
gathered, was to provide a soft landing for
Chief Oyegun.

Engr. Babachir who visited the APC national
secretariat, last Friday and had meeting with
some national officers who were around, also
visited yesterday and held another closed door
meeting with the national chairman and his
deputy, South, Mr. Segun Oni. The meeting
lasted for an hour.

All scheduled meetings of the party will run as
planned, with the caucus on March 21, BoT
March 22 and NEC on March 24.

While the APC leadership seems to be
unperturbed by the air of uncertainty among
party men and women regarding the fate of
their chairman, those interested in Chief
Oyegun’s job might have to wait for a long
while as the party leader seems to be enjoying
the confidence of President Muhammadu
Buhari.