A chieftain of the All Progressives Party (APC), Chief Ibrahim Emokpaire, has advised the former National Chairman of the APC, Chief Odigie Oyegun, not to cause disaffection in Edo APC .
The former APC national chairmanship aspirant blamed Chief Oyegun for the face-off between the National Assembly members and President Muhammadu Buhari during the first term of the Buhari administration.
Chief Empkpaire said: “As a good party leader, he ought to have intervened and brought the warring party members together, yet he chose to declare his support for a particular camp.”
Chief Empkpaire, while speaking ahead of the governorship election primary in Edo State, said one of the hallmarks of a good leader is to harness all avenues to give leadership in time of crisis, but, according to him, Chief Oyegun had not been able to do this in Edo State.
While supporting the direct primary in Edo as proposed by the National Working Committee (NWC), he expressed fear that some of the actions of Chief Oyegun could adversely affect the party in the state.
Comparing former National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande with Chief Oyegun, he said, Chief Bisi Akande never interfered in the running of the party when Oyegun was in charge of the party.
“Oshiomhole did not contrive the crisis in Edo State and should be left to do the good job he is doing as the National Chairman of the party.
“Chief Oyegun is the immediate past National Chairman of the ruling party. A lot happened during his tenure which almost made the party lose the 2019 general election
“Under his watch, the party conducted the most controversial congresses across the country. Under his watch, as the National Chairman, we had a National Assembly, constituting themselves as the opposition against their own party.”
Empkpaire said that recent outburst of Chief Oyegun was unnecessary as the National Working Committee of the APC had taken a stand on modality of the governorship primary election in the state.
He said he was not against Chief Oyegun, mobilizing the party members to support Obaseki,but he was surprised that the former National Chairman brought the name of President Buhari into the matter.