APC National Leaders At War Over Spokesperson

The governing All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Council (NEC) members are currently waging an internal battle within themselves over who speak for the party since the former National Publicity Secretary, Lai Muhammad, got ministerial appointment.

The National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun at a media briefing on Wednesday stated that the National Secretary of the party, Mai Mala Buni and himself are the only authorized party officials allowed to speak for the party.

But deputy national secretary of APC, Comrade Timi Frank at another press briefing called the bluff of the chairman saying “any other person (apart from him) issuing a statement is doing that may be on a personal capacity”.

“Our party constitution is very clear, anybody that does not understand the party constitution within the party or anybody that is still thinking who is the acting spokesperson or acting spokesperson. Frank said

“Today I am the spokesperson of the party, I’m the acting spokesperson of the party I can tell you without fear or favour that when the substantive person in the office of the national chairman or the national secretary or anybody that is not there, the deputy takes over automatically.

Frank expressed that the party’s constitution was clear on what should be done if there is vacant position that needed to be filled given the instance where Uche Secondus, the acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stepped in the moment Adamu Muazu resigned after the party suffered defeat to the APC in the 2015 Presidential election.

“This is the principle of the party constitution’s, we have this also existing today in the PDP, you could see that when Muazu was not there Secondus today is acting for the party, so there is no difference, Lai Mohammad Is not there so automatically I’m the acting spokesperson of this party, so I can tell you without fear or favour, any other person issuing a statement is doing that maybe on a personal capacity but constitutionally I am the acting spokesperson of the party. It’s not something I need to lobby for, it is something meant to be the trend and I stand by it. Frank submitted.

While responding on the issue, John Odigie-Oyegun informed newsmen that efforts are on to make sure that all vacant positions at the party’s NWC will be filled in due course denied the claim by Timi Frank as being the spokesman of the party in any guise informing that National Secretary and himself will for now speak on behalf of the party.

“I will start by saying who does not speak for the party, the person you are talking about does not speak for the party. Secondly, if there are any issues that need clarification for now, pending when we have a substantive publicity secretary, the national secretary will do so for the party and also when I speak, i speak for the party. It is as simple as that”. Oyegun stated

Three positions are currently vacant at the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC) after some recent appointments. Babachir David Lawal, before his appointment as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF) was the party’s Vice Chairman (North East) while Dikko Umar Radda, the current Chief of Staff to the Kastina State Governor was the National Welfare Secretary of APC and Lai Muhammed, prior to his appointment as minister, the National Publicity Secretary.