The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, says former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar left the ruling party because of the “incompetence” of the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun.

Background: Mr Frank was reacting to a comment credited to Mr Oyegun that Mr Atiku’s exit from APC won’t lead to a massive defection from the ruling party.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mr Frank said the chairman should concentrate on how to rebuild the APC instead of concentrating his energy on the former vice-president.

He said: “His incompetence contributed to the former vice-president leaving the party,” the statement read.

“That was how Oyegun chased out President Muhammadu Buhari from the defunct ANPP but today Buhari is the president.

“When you eat from a man and come back to talk evil of the same man, prosperity will definitely judge in this case. Oyegun is one of the biggest beneficiaries from Atiku in APC, we expect him to have little fear of God while talking in public.

“I hope Chief Oyegun will learn from the history of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and the PDP when some of us were leaving the party. The party later paid the price and if care is not taken APC too will pay the price of Oyegun’s incompetency in 2019.

“Our national chairman ought to know that politics is a game of numbers, so we expect him to take responsibility for everyone leaving the ruling party to opposition party under his watch.

“If Oyegun thinks that Atiku’s exit won’t create any impact, time will tell but I will still advice the party to relieve Chief Oyegun of his office before he angers more people to leave the APC.

“Atiku actually left APC because of such a national chairman who could not ensure internal democracy. Under Chief Oyegun, aspirants alleged that primary elections were won by higher bidders, party constitution suspended, display of impunity were the order of the day, inability to put BoT in place, lack of capacity to organise convention and other necessary meetings. So, Nigerians will expect our chairman to tell the world the value he has added to the ruling party?

“This is a national chairman who has never won an election for APC even in his ward, how can he challenge a former vice president of Nigeria who has added values to democracy and even to the ruling party before he left.”

Omoleye Omoruyi

Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram