•Amaechi group targets APC chairman’s seat
A move targeted at the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, is currently unfolding in the ranks of the party, following what some sources described as his roles in the just-concluded national convention of the party.
Investigations by Sunday Tribune indicated that Odigie-Oyegun is being targeted by two forces within the party.
One of the forces is said to be angling for what its leaders described as “balancing act,” while the other is said to be aggrieved that the chairman truncated an earlier plan to feature a Muslim/Muslim ticket.
It was gathered that the camp loyal to Rivers State governor, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, is angling for what is described as “balancing act” within the party, following the emergence of Professor Yemi Osinbajo as the running mate to General Mohammadu Buhari in the 2015 contest.
The group, according to sources in the party, is claiming that since the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) faction of the party, led by General Buhari, has picked the presidential slot, while the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) side of the merger picked the vice-presidential slot, the governors’ camp, led by the Rivers State governor, should now be allowed to pick the chairmanship slot of the party.
Though Odigie-Oyegun was only elected in June, one of the sources had claimed that the party could effect a balancing act by calling an extra-ordinary convention.
Another source in the party claimed that some leaders of the party were not happy with Odigie-Oyegun for failing to back the Muslim/Muslim ticket option, believed to be capable of providing the party with its strongest hands.
It was gathered that the target of the Muslim/Muslim ticket was the former governor of Lagos state, Senator Bola Tinubu, who, it is believed, could provide massive votes from the South-West.
Odigie-Oyegun’s sins, according to this group, are that he failed to strongly defend the option and allowed some young elements from the North to force the party’s hands and drive it away from the Muslim/Muslim option.
But so far, there appears no agreement in the works as to the possible timing of the bid against the chairman.
Sources said that three meetings, one in Abuja and two in Lagos, had been held to strategise on the plot on how and when it would be expedient.
While some people have argued that his removal now would have minimal effect on the elections, some had insisted that nothing could be done before the election.
The group described its anger thus: “When the chips were down, he (Odigie-Oyegun) refused to stand up to defend the Muslim-Muslim ticket, one of the conditions that informed his emergence as the party chairman.
“He allowed some people to browbeat the party with arguments, whereas those from the South-West insisted that they want to put their best foot forward.
“Some of us are angry because we brought him in to stabilise things. We are weighing the effects of his planned removal now to the fortunes of the party at the polls, but we are determined to press on.
“We made him chairman and when it was payback time, he joined the ‘opposition’ in the name of populist agitation against Muslim/Muslim ticket.”
Those clamouring for balancing act to accommodate Amaechi and the governors also said that the group could be pacified for its loss of the vice-presidential slot through the emergence of Chief Sam Sam Jaja, who is also from the South-South.
It was, however, confirmed that opinions were clearly divided on the possibility of stoking the “fire” in a party that is angling to contest a major election against the ruling party.
Some of those opposed to any planned move against Odigie-Oyegun were said to have insisted that any such move would indicate that some interested leaders of the party produced Odigie-Oyegun out of selfish reasons.
Some people who have heard of this development are saying that it does seem to mean that his emergence as chairman was predetermined to fulfill certain ends.
“It is good this is coming out. I can assure you a number of us will oppose it. Does it mean that he was brought in against popular will? Some people left the party, while some just moaned and stayed on after the June convention that produced him. Does it mean he was brought in to help actualise an ambition for the vice presidential slot? We are waiting,” the source said.
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