Odigie-Oyegun: Why I Took On Oshiomhole

By Editor

Erstwhile national chairman of the All Progressives Congress APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun will be looking out for his successor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu at a national gathering to round up his 80^th birthday celebrations in Abuja on Saturday.

Odigie-Oyegun expressed his anticipation as he explained why he had to recently frontally confront Oshiomhole over allegations raised against him by the present National Working Committee, NWC. He said that at 80 he realized that he could not allow unfounded allegations leveled against him to take root and gain currency as he had little time to clear his name.

Odigie-Oyegun spoke through his Public Affairs Adviser, Chief Ray Morphy.

Odigie-Oyegun who turned 80 on Monday was celebrated by the political class from the ruling APC and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

However, conspicuously absent were his successor as party chairman and governor of Edo State, Oshiomhole who he had been embroiled with in recent times over issues arising in Edo State.

Also absent was Tinubu, a former ally with whom he quarreled with when he was national chairman. Tinubu was one of those who gave strong backing to Oshiomhole to replace Odigie-Oyegun.

Asked over the absence of the two men at the state celebrations in Benin, Morphy said:

“We have two batches of the event. The state function which was done by the state which is more like a regional event.

“We have a national function which is being organized tomorrow (Saturday). Well, I would have a response if tomorrow (Saturday) we record the same kind of situation. “But I know that most people who attend events will look at which one to attend. For instance, we have all these governors who were not essentially there because we have the main function which will be a national celebration on Saturday.”

Explaining why the national chairman had to respond to the allegations raised against him by the Oshiomhole led NWC, he said:

“Until we began to hear accusations left and right which are basically just accusations. Which was why it became necessary as his Public Affairs Adviser to begin to take on those things.

“We took them on not because we were interested in just replying, but because at 80, what time does he have to build his name? If people throw mud at you when you are 80, what time do you have to clean it up?

“But by his nature, he would have kept quiet but he reached a point when he realised that though he didn’t do those kind of things, those allegations, left unchallenged, could soil his name practically for life.”

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