PIC.12. APC CHIEFTAIN, ASIWAJU BOLA TINUBU (L), IN A HANDSHAKE WITH THE APC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN, CHIEF JOHN ODIGIE-OYEGUN, AT THE PRESENTATION OF THE BOOK: ‘MUHAMMADU BUHARI: THE CHALLENGES OF LEADERSHIP IN NIGERIA’ WRITTEN BY PROF. JOHN PADEN IN ABUJA ON MONDAY (3/10/16) WITH THEM IS CHAIRMAN, BULLET CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, ALHAJI ISA FUNTUA 7329/3/10/2016/CALLISTUS EWELIKE/NAN
All Progressives Congress, APC, National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has reacted to the call for his resignation by National Leader of his party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking to State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, Odigie-Oyegun said that he cannot be removed from office on the pages of newspapers.
Odigie-Oyegun’s visit to the President was over differences with Tinubu on the conduct of the Ondo State governorship primary of the party won by Chief Rotimi Akeredolu.
The two met for the first time on Monday at the launch of a book on President Buhari.
Asked to speak on the content of the letter, Odigie-Oyegun said the procedure for removing a chairman was provided in the party’s constitution, adding that the National Executive Committee, NEC, would meet at the appropriate time.
He said: “There is no rift with Asiwaju. We have a difference of opinion, difference of perception and I think that is normal. Yes, I agree that the nature of the statement was a bit harsh.
“The methods of getting rid of a national chairman, if that is what I will call it, are spelt out in the constitution. They don’t take place on the pages of newspapers. It is proper for them to meet and they will all meet at the appropriate time.”
On whether the handshake was a sign of true reconciliation, the chairman said: “Do they know how far back our association goes? Do they know that we were in the trenches together in the NADECO days? Why can’t people who have mutual respect for each other have different opinions?
“All we had was a difference of opinion. Yes, it was expressed a bit harshly, but that doesn’t remove the basic fact that we have worked together for a very long time.”
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