Barely a week after the crises rocking the leadership of the All Progressives Congress became public knowledge, national leader of the ruling party, Bola Tinubu and its national chairman, John Oyegun met publicly for the first time on Monday.
The two gladiators met for the first time at the International Conference Centre, Abuja where President Muhammadu Buhari’s biography was presented.
Tinubu had called for Oyegun’s removal, accusing him of mishandling the Ondo state gubernatorial primaries and promoting selfish ends ahead of party interest.
The book tilted: “Muhammed Buhari: The Challenges Of Leadership In Nigeria” was written by Prof John Paden.
The two leaders exchanged pleasantries before the commencement of the event.
They sat together but did not look at each other or share a joke throughout the duration of the event.
“The APC, a party born of the quest for democratic good governance, is under critical threat by those who managed to be in the party but never of it.
“From the party’s inception, the principles of democratic fairness and justice were to guide APC internal deliberations. Party founders realized that only by intramural fair dealing could the party remain faithful to the progressive ideals that we presented to the Nigerian electorate as our governing creed.
If the party could not justly govern itself, it would find it difficult to establish and maintain just government throughout the nation. “In essence, the party was the embodiment of a democratic promise made between its members as well as a democratic vow made to the public.
Evidently, some errant members believe promises and vows are mere words to be easily spoken and more easily broken. Chairman John Oyegun has breached these good pledges in a most overt and brazen display. In doing so, Oyegun has dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead”, Tinubu had written in a communiqué.
The chairman had said he would consult widely before responding to Tinubu’s allegations.
