APC chieftain urges settlement with Tinubu, consults leaders

Unless the All Progressives Congress (APC) reconciles with the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, it would be difficult for the party to win the Ondo polls.

The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Timi Frank, disclosed this in an interview in Abuja.

He said: “We need to put a strong machinery in place to win the election. We can’t ignore Tinubu whose immense contributions to the party cannot be wished away. We must appease him to join in the struggle, because we can’t succeed in the election without Tinubu.”

Frank condemned the crisis rocking the APC at the national level, including what he described as the reign of impunity in its leadership.

He restated his call that John Odigie-Oyegun should resign as the part’s national chairman.

Frank faulted the plan to appoint a former Sports Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi as the party’s national publicity secretary, saying it was a breach of due process.

He said he would go to court to challenge the decision.

According to him: “I am still in charge as the spokesman of the party. There is a clear constitutional procedure to follow in electing the national publicity secretary. The chairman lacks the power to appoint anybody to take the seat.”

He added that he would consult with President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Tinubu to ensure that Odigie-Oyegun is ousted.

The spokesman said his consultation would include all past chairmen of the legacy parties that formed the APC.

He listed them as Ogbonnaya Onu of the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Tony Momoh of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Bisi Akande of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).

Others are Rochas Okorocha, who led a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Kawu Baraje of the then new Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He said he would do everything to rebuild the party, adding that repositioning it was the wish of the majority of its leaders.