BENIN CITY- The Edo State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) has cautioned the National Leadership of the party not to succumb to pressure to slaughter the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun as scapegoat of the power play that led to the festering leadership crisis in the National Assembly.
A statement endorsed on behalf of the Edo Chapter of the APC by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Godwin Erhahon said it “believes that in a situation where Asiwaju Bola Tinubu block which supported Chief Oyegun’s emergence as National Chairman and the Alhaji Atitu Abubakar block which then preferred Chief Tom Ikimi for the same position were struggling to control the Assembly which president Muhammadu Buhari maintained neutrality Chief Oyegun ought to be commended for not siding any of the rival power blocks.
The statement further said: “the orchestrated calls for the resignation by both blocks confirm him as a fair umpire in the contest. We in Edo State believe that the current debade could have been averted if those who summoned APC Senators to the meeting which clashed with the inaugural session had directed the clerk of the National Assembly to shift the inauguration till after the meeting.
“It was the failure to carry the clerk of the National Assembly along that led to the situation where we had an inaugural session that was dominated by the minority PDP as the majority was away for the meeting. Having allowed this loophole that has widened into an earthquake, APC needed to treat the unwanted Saraki leadership like a “boil on the nose” which should be left to ripen and melt naturally as any attempt to forcefully remove it may be fatal”, the statement added.
“The allegation of bribery against Chief Oyegun, an accomplished and fulfilled man why even as Secretary of NADECO shunned all the carrots dangled at him by the military junta, is to say the least, malicious.
“ Obviously, the corrupt, corruptible and corrupted members of his National Executive Committee are those concocting charges of bribery against him”, it also declared.
The Edo APC consequently advised President Muhammadu Buhari, as the leader of APC, not to allow highly, placed desperados in the party to rubbish Chief Oyegun on whose vibrant leadership the party climbed to victory, saying “we hope and pray that wisdom prevail over desperation and egoism in the ongoing crisis”.
