Dr Ray Murphy, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Cross Rivers state, has declared that those bent on calling the shots in the party want National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun out.
Murphy, who was a member of Governor Kashim Shettima-led APC Anambra Governorship Primary Election Committee, warned the party against allowing a cabal holding it to ransom.
In a chat with New Telegraph, he said: “APC cannot be defined by the interest of the narrow clique within it. The national chairman played the role of the arbiter in Ondo State and ensured that the choice of the party members emerged.
“A congress was conducted and the people chose a certain person. The person emerged and won the election. Now, go back and look at the case of Senator Adeleke in Osun State.
“He was in the senatorial race and was the choice of the people, but certain persons imposed another person. Adeleke left our party, went to PDP within two weeks and won the election. How can that be the fault of the national chairman of the party?
“It simply implies that there are some forces, who think they can determine who get tickets in the party and once they don’t have their way, they turn around and blame others. The fact is that they don’t support internal democracy.
“The national chairman in a ruling party is empowered to act or not to act by the president of a country. If you do not have ‘carrot and stick’ at your disposal, how do you control the party? It would be a mischief if you say the national chairman is not loved or he’s not wanted.”
On the belief expressed by some party stalwarts that Oyegun has not been firm on the presidency, Murphy said such position does not hold waters.
“Is somebody saying the national chairman or NWC members should now become an opposition to the president, who is a member of the party? Is that what it means to be a stooge?
“The national chairman and the NWC members are supposedly to compliment and make it easier for the president to govern; they are not there to oppose the president. They must work naturally in consensus with the president.
“It is the other parties, such as the Peoples Democratic (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) that should be in opposition not the NWC of the party that brought the president to power.”
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