The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that only the Independent National Electoral Commission can overturn the outcome of the party’s governorship election primaries for Ondo State.
Odigie-Oyegun said this on Tuesday after taking his grievance with the National Leader of the Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The bone of contention between both APC chiefs was the party’s governorship primary in Ondo State, which produced Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu as the candidate for the November 26 governorship election in the state.
Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, had faulted Odigie-Oyegun for overruling the decision of the party’s National Working Committee that upheld the decision of the Appeal Committee which recommended the cancellation of the primary.
Odigie-Oyegun, however, said all that transpired in the party’s primary election in Ondo State were contained in the report of the chairman of the primary committee.
When asked after his meeting with the President whether the party would consider a change of mind since the result was generating controversy, the party chairman said that was up to INEC.
“It is only INEC (the Independent national Electoral Commission) that can make a U-turn on the Ondo primary,” he told State House correspondents.
Odigie-Oyegun met Buhari behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He told journalists that there was no rift between him and Tinubu, only a difference of opinion.
“There is no rift with Asiwaju. We have difference of opinions, difference of perception and I think that is normal. Yes, I agree that the nature of the (Tinubu’s) statement was a bit harsh,” he said.
When asked if he would resign as demanded by Tinubu, the ex-governor said, “The methods of getting rid of a national chairman, if that is what I will call it, are spelt out in the constitution. They don’t take place on the pages of newspapers.”
END
Be the first to comment