The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has disclosed that the exit of the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar from the All Progressives Congress APC to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will not in any way lead to massive defection from the APC.
“Odigie-Oyegun who made the disclosure during his investiture as the National Life Hrand Patron of the Association of former chairmen, councillors and ward leaders in Nigeria at the Party’s National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday evening, stressed that there is no need to be afraid of any mass defection and announced that the APC on the contrary is growing in strength on a daily basis.
According to him, Let nobody fear that the defection of the former vice president is going to lead to any deluge, if anybody wants to defect, the day you are defecting is the day you bring out your heavy guns not later like the papers are speculating. When you stand and they look at your right and left, they say ‘ah this man has done something great’. So don’t ever be afraid that there is going to be any massive defection. As a matter of fact the contrary is the case. The APC is growing in strength on a daily basis.”
Odigie-Oyegun charged the group not to be deceived by the ‘screaming’ and opposition rhetoric.
“Anybody who is anybody is virtually with the APC today. The reality is outside the APC there is no other party that is truly settled, not even the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is. They are still fighting about how to get a chairman and the rest of it.
“Today, they say money has come to buy the chairmanship position. So it is something you should take pride in… It is just that the remnants of the PDP have found their voice so they are screaming very loud and we think that the whole country is upside down. It is not. The country is making steady progress and your party is growing on a daily basis.” Odigie-Oyegun said.
The APC National Chairman while thanking the association for the investiture said group’s association with the APC has come at the right time as the party has begun preparations for the 2019 elections and urged the group to position themselves as key drivers of positive change in the country and shun unwholesome practices and conducts which have bedevilled many similar groups.
Speaking during the investiture, the Association’s National Coordinator, Hon. Mike Omohimua described the APC National Chairman as a man of high intellect and political pedigree who used his political doggedness and experience to rescue Nigeria from collapse.
“The choice of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Chairman of our great party as the national life grand patron and chairman board of trustees of our association is for us to tap from his wealth of experience towards having viable and strong grassroots network ahead of 2019 continuity agenda.” He said.
Omohimua said the association has a database of registered members across the 774 local government areas and 8810 electoral wards in the country. He said the association is proposing a national project tagged: “Operation Recover Nigeria” in line with APC’s ongoing effort to rebuild the country.
Present at the investiture were the Party’s Deputy National Chairman (North), Sen. Lawal Shuaibu; Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr. Segun Oni and National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu.
