Since coming into power in May last year, the All Progressives Congress has had a checkered run. This is reflected in the President’s laissez faire approach to the election of National Assembly principal officers resulting in Senator Bukola Saraki’s decision to defy the party hierarchy in securing the office of Senate President. This pit Saraki and National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu against each other resulting in a silent war between two key players in the party’s success. The party also saw its petition for a rerun in the Rivers state governorship election rejected by the Supreme Court leaving one of the biggest states in the country in the preserve of People’s Democratic Party. The general feeling is that the party is struggling to come to terms with its position and status as the ruling party. It is against this backdrop that allegations of anti party activities are being made against National Chairman, John Oyegun.
The allegation comes from the APC’s senatorial candidate in the Abia North senatorial election (where elections will hold in March), Nnenna Mma Lancaster- Okoro. In a petition made against Oyegun seen by Culture Custodian, the candidate suggests that her rival in the race, Orji Uzor Kalu of the Progressive Peoples Alliance has campaigned on the premise that he is the favoured candidate of President Buhari and National Chairman, John Odigie Oyegun. The petition suggests that Kalu has also posited that he is also a sponsor of the party’s state and national leaders- a claim which could easily undermine the case of the APC candidate.
In making sense of these claims, it is noteworthy that the President’s media spokesman, Femi Adesina prior to his appointment was the Chief Executive Officer of Kalu’s Sun newspaper which could be indicative of a link between the former Abia state governor and the party hierarchy. However, the President’s nature has generally been to stay out of electoral matters borne out of the admirable belief that he should function less as a kingmaker or godfather and work with the choice of the electorate. This would explain why the petition seems to be targeted more at the National Chairman, John Oyegun.