Spokesman: Tension At APC Secretariat As Timi Frank Resumes Monday

The National Secretariat of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) may turn to a theatre stage on Monday morning over the plan by the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Timi Frank, to resume the office as the official acting spokesman against the wish of the national chairman Chief John Odigie Oyegun.

Both Oyegun and Frank has been waging madia war against each other over who suppose to speak for the party since former spokesman Lai Muhammad became minister.

Section 14 sub-section 11 i of the APC constitution states that: “the deputy national publicity secretary shall assist and deputise for the national publicity secretary in his absence.”

But the national chairman felt contrary.

Our reporter reliably gathered that some national leaders of the APC has instigated Timi Frank to resume at the party house on Monday.

Some of the party leaders were said to be using Timi Frank as a trap to end the tenure of Chief Oyegun as APC national chairman, who they said had stepped on many toes.

Oyegun at a media briefing had told the inquisitive newsmen that the National Secretary of the party, Mai Mala Buni and himself were the only authorized party officials allowed to speak for the party.

He said: “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”.

But the 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 said 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.