Oyegun Blames Hardship on APC’s Style of Leadership, Picks ADC Membership Card in Edo

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

Former National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has blamed the ruling party’s leadership style for the hunger and hardship in the country.

Odigie-Oyegun also blamed the APC federal government for inability to tackle rising insecurity in the country, especially in Benue and other states. He said the country had never been as divided as it was under the present leadership of President Bola Tinubu

Odigie-Oyegun spoke when he was given the membership card of African Democratic Congress (ADC) by the Edo State chairman of the party, Mr. Kennedy Odion, in Benin City

He disclosed that before they settled for ADC, they had made extensive research and found that it was the party that had the interest of Nigerians at heart.

The former APC chairman stated, “We talked to a lot of parties, about seven others, up till the very last minute. We made a report and we said ADC. And some said, ‘No, no, no, you must still talk to this, you must still talk to that.’ So, we delayed decision for another fortnight.

“At the end of our meeting, we still came back. I said, ‘Yes, what you asked us to do, we’ve done. We’ve talked to the others, but we have not seen a party as dedicated as the ADC.”

He explained that those who were peddling the rumour that ADC was planning to disrupt the government of the day were only trying to diminish the aims and objectives of the coalition, which was to rescue Nigerians.

While commending the growth of the party, the former APC chairman said ADC was growing by the day and more notable politicians were still coming to join.

He said, “So, from a month ago, you were just ADC. But today, one can say we are the largest party in this nation. We are growing by the day; we are growing by the week. We are growing by the months. People understand. In all parties, we are not talking, it’s still ADC but ADC is now a mix of the best of PDP.

“Some of the best of APC, a lot of them, are still coming on the way. And all the other parties. And the good thing is that, you haven’t seen a lot of the faces yet, both professionals, people who never thought of politics, people who just finished from commanding heights of the economy, but in whatever service, I don’t want to mention the various services.”

Presenting him with the party’s membership card at the party’s secretariat in Benin City, Chairman of ADC in Edo State, Odion, said Odigie-Oyegun was not new to forming a coalition. He said the former APC chairman had done it before and was doing it again with a view to redeeming the country from its economic quagmire.

Odion said, “He has put together what is called a coalition before and he succeeded. So, in mathematics, once you understand the formula, the answer is in view. He understands how he did it before. So, doing it again is not a difficult task.

“As God may have it, he is not from any other state but from the heartbeat of this nation cum Edo State and we are moving the coalition together. He was the chairman of the implementation committee that decided that ADC will be the platform.”