On 1st of May 2014, I wrote to the then APC National Interim
Executive Council Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande reporting to him the
overwhelming unfavorable report I had received from across the Country
on the status of our Party. I informed him that I had spoken to Party
members and leaders across the country and that the feeling was
unanimous regarding the downward trend of things. I emphasized that the
latest problem arose from the Congresses, which were very poorly managed
nationwide and suggested to him that the National Interim Executive
Council meeting be immediately convened to address the problem. My
letter was dispatched to him by email and copied to about twenty-five
key leaders across the country. There was a delay in convening the IEC
meeting that I requested and during the period of delay my letter got
leaked to the press by someone from Ogun State. It was this alarm that I
raised that forced the convening by the Governors of a Leadership
Caucus meeting and eventually a National Executive Council Meeting that
decided on the hosting of an elective Convention. I have since become
aware that in initiating the call for an elective convention, a secret
plot by some individuals to retain the status quo leadership headed by
Chief Bisi Akande in pursuit of some personal agendas had been jolted.
2.
I confirm my status as a bonafide member of the All Progressive
Congress, a member of the now defunct National Interim Executive Council
leader of the Party in Edo State as well as the South South zone and by
any stretch of the imagination one of the foremost leaders of the Party
nationally. I am compelled to make this statement at this time so as to
clarify some issues pertaining to my person as it relates to the APC
generally and the recent APC National Convention in particular. I want
to correct some information deliberately distorted and misconstrued to
the public through deliberate falsehood orchestrated by a section of the
press particularly the Nation Newspaper. Finally I want to explain to
all our members and sympathizers nationwide the reason for my boycott of
the convention.
3. In the build up to the Convention,
the Interim National Executive Council approved a National Convention
Committee under the chairmanship of Governor Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto
State as well as the venue to be Abuja. By this decision a proposal of
another Convention Chairman as well as Lagos for the Venue that was
preferred by a South West leader was defeated. Hostile reactions towards
me as well as hostile comments indicated to me that by my initiating
the hosting of a Convention in order to replace the status quo
leadership,following up to spearhead the establishment of a neutral
Convention Committee leadership and securing Abuja as venue of the event
I had no doubt invited the wrath of a powerful group. The National
Interim Executive Council was never convened again to approve any of the
arrangements before the convention and was never even accorded the
courtesy of a valedictory session. All that transpired thereafter
leading to the convention happened mostly in secret meetings and
caucuses some of which I have since become aware were convened in
Europe. The Party was now run as a private property.
4.
Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Tinubu operated as the core of
one of these caucuses whose membership varied from time to time within
the realms of his whims and caprice. The other known caucus was the APC
Governor's forum. These two groups hijacked power from the National
Interim Executive Council, which is the body known to INEC. However, it
was from these two caucuses that the idea of zoning the party positions
emerged. Zoning is a principle alien to our Party Constitution but if at
all it had to be employed at some stage and the process democratically
agreed, to assure the equitable distribution of key offices in the Party
and Government to the different geo-political zones in the country it
was my considered view that the process should be open and transparent
and should be approved by the Interim National Executive Council of the
Party. Chief Bisi Akande cannot produce any such approval. In addition
and in my opinion, I felt strongly that if we were bound to proceed on
the basis of zoning that both Party offices as well as key offices in
Government such as President, Vice President etc should be put on the
table and zoned at the same time. My suggestion was motivated by strong
information I had received of plots being hatched to steam role a Muslim
Muslim Presidential and Vice Presidential ticket for the APC in the
2015 elections and with specific individuals in mind as the
beneficiaries.
5. I have been bewildered by this turn
of events that run counter to the vision of our Party. My own vision of
creating an alternative Political platform other than the PDP for the
Nigerian people which was shared by the 89of us who worked assiduously
on this project for six months, towards establishing a balanced two
Party democracy was very well articulated and enunciated in the build up
process of unifying the major opposition Political Parties through the
unique merger of former ACN, ANPP, CPC and part of APGA.Looking back now
and noting that in over ten years several similar attempts had failed, I
am proud of the central role I played in that process. Indeed it was my
face and that of a number of my faithful colleagues that was associated
with the Merger Process and not those of a handful, some of whom never
gave us a chance that have since seized the project.
6.
I recall that in the terms of reference which I prepared to the
Constitution drafting Committee we insisted among other things that the
Constitution must design a transparent method of Congresses and
Convention which will be in line with our commitment to sound internal
Democratic ideals.In that regard I drew experience from my time as
National Chairman of the defunct NRC twenty three years ago and the
excellent flawless performance I displayed in January 2003 when I
chaired the Presidential Primaries of the PDP. Internal Party Democracy
was key to our quest for CHANGE in our Nation's democracy and our
proclamation that we would imbibe that principle was one of the cardinal
reasons that endeared us to the waiting public.
7.
That is why in the very early days of the National Interim Executive
Council, I had expressed strong reservations over any tendency of ceding
authority of the Party to Governors. While I hold in the highest
respect all who are Governors both past and present and acknowledging
the immense contributions they are destined to make in any political
party in which they are members, I am nonetheless a strong believer in
the Supremacy of the Party Authority which should have power to operate
freely and fairly in the affairs of the party at all times in order to
assure fairness to all its members no matter how low or high, rich or
poor. This view which was hotly debated at the Interim EXCO meeting with
some of our Governors present, prior to the arrival of the "new PDP"
Governors, I am sure dimmed to some extent my relationship with a few of
the Governors. However I have since been vindicated noting how
difficult it became to establish State Interim Executive Committees and
where they were eventually established how difficult it was for them to
operate freely. Some Governors who are now in the tail end of their
tenure will appreciate my point when they descend from the throne no
matter how elaborate their pension may be. With the arrival of the "new
PDP" Governors,the group of 16 APC Governors formed perhaps the
strongest caucus in the party.
8. However, both the
Governors and the Tinubu groups decided on a zoning process that was
limited only to Party offices as well as the choice of individuals to
fill them. They proceeded in a manner that was neither open nor
transparent. Most undemocratic and bizarre procedures then prevailed.
The Governors initiated a zoning plan that allocated the National
Chairman to the South South. This proposal was reluctantly accepted by
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,whose well known preferred option had been to retain
Chief Bisi Akande as Chairman forever. Nevertheless he in the
circumstance proceeded to draw up a list of his cronies for the entire
National Executive all by himself. Very strange as this may sound, it
was the reality. Some interested persons who could make contact with him
prevailed on him to agree to a negotiation which ended up basically of
sharing the offices with the Governors group. Nothing was ever referred
to the National Interim Executive Council for approval or even
information.
9. This rather illegal and most
undemocratic process ended up ceding the position of National Chairman
as well as a number of other key offices to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to
nominate the beneficiaries. I am now aware of the back ground horse
trading that occurred within the ranks of the Governors that resulted in
the National Chairmanship being zoned to the South South, The Governor
of Rivers State who secured the position for the South South as he
explained in a press interview a few days ago, that it was as
compensation for breach of some "agreement" between him and those who
lured him into the party. In the end he was not able to install his
candidate, Sam Sam Jaja as he had intended. His quest for support from
Gov Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, to implement the Sam Sam Jaja option
produced very unclear responses. Unaware of this background mess at the
time, I naturally emerged as front runner from my State being endorsed
unanimously by the Edo State APC Party leadership.All the same, Bola
Tinubu convened a meeting of his secret caucus where he announced his
choice of Chief John Oyegun on behalf of Edo State. He threatened fire
and brimstone if his choice were to be challenged.
10. I
am informed that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is not comfortable with my
independent mindedness and he holds the view that I cannot be
controlled. He prefers someone that he believes will do his bidding and
as they openly declared the preferred person should have links with the
defunct NADECO as well as the defunct SDP. That I was formerly in PDP is
an argument, which is both foolish and mischievous. For those who may
not know, I was one of the two persons who in 2006 created the now
defunct AC (Action Congress) party. The core members of that party were
basically a strong breakaway group from the then PDP, including HE Atiku
Abubakar, Chief Audu Ogbeh, Late Abubakar Rimi, Alhaji Gali Naaba,
Alhaji Lawal Kaita, Alhaji Musa Gwadabe, Ambassador Kwande, Otunba
Fashawe, Alhaji Shuaibu Oyedokun, Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, Ms Funke
Adedoyin, Sen Ben Obi, Chief Dubem Onyia, Chief Tom Ikimi etc and a
break away from AD including all former AD Governors who lost out to PDP
in the 2003 General Elections. As Bola Tinubu was the only sitting
Governor inthe South West at the time he became for them their rallying
point. To day we have "new PDP" Governors among us . Are they going to
suffer such prejudices too because they came from the PDP? Therefore
those who are either mischievous or do not know should be informed that I
was in the core of the creation of AC (Action Congress), ACN (Action
Congress of Nigeria) and APC created in my Abuja residence. I did NOT go
to join APC. In which case those who are suggesting that I return to
the PDP must equally ask Bola Tinubu to return to AD.
11.
I have nothing personal against Chief John Oyegun who is now 75same age
as Chief Bisi Akande. I recall admitting him into the APP in 1999 and
recently into the ACN in Benin City after his problems with the
ANPP.Nevertheless I believe strongly that all the thirty-six states as
well as the six geopolitical zones should be left to assume their own
destiny. We in Edo State, core of the former Midwestern Nigeria and
Bendel will not forget the history of our creation that by popular vote
in a plebiscite conducted in 1963our people overwhelmingly voted for
self determination to depart from Western Nigeria and take our destiny
in our own hands. Today we are proud members of the South South zone. I
cannot be party to any arrangement 51 years later that a purported
leader of the South West zone, Bola Tinubu would arrogate to himself the
right to decide for us. We never chose for him any of the candidates in
the South West zone nor did we interfere in the outcome in any of the
other zones.
12. I have read in some News Papers,
notably in the Nation,descriptions of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the Leader
of the APC sometimes owner of the APC. That is ridiculous as no such
position exists in the party and no one has been so coronated. Those who
claim they are wealthy and wish to contribute to political parties must
await their compensation in the Party's roll of honor. My idea of
raising Party finances is to receive fair contributions from all our
members nationwide who in turn must have equal rights in the Party.
Flying
across the country with an entourage of a few chosen individuals and
proclaiming yourself leader of the party has been one of the major
drawbacks of the APC. Some have therefore tried to justify his
unilateral appointment of Chief John Oyegun as National Chairman as a
concession done to him as the Leader. I am amazed by this development.
13.
At the successful ending of the Merger talks, when I announced the
birth of APC, among other things, I said " At no other time in our
National life has radical change become more urgent and to meet the
challenge of that change we the following Progressive Parties, namely
ACN, ANPP, CPC and part of APGA have resolved to merge forthwith and
become the All Progressive Congress and offer our beleaguered people a
recipe for prosperity." I emphasized on behalf of the 89 of us who had
met continuously for six months in my house in Abuja to put together the
Merger that our Party the APC would derive its power from sound
democratic ideals, which will deepen our Nation's democracy as we were
determined to ensure a thriving Internal Party Democracy.Regrettably,
all that has transpired recently leading up to and including the first
National Convention of the APC runs counter to this commitment. Let me
in this statement and circumstances extend my warmest felicitations to
all those89 delegates for their dedication and hard work.
14.
Those hired writers and hatchet men who for paltry fees have launched a
campaign of calumny against me should find something better to do.The
often-made reference to late Gen Sani Abacha's government is now
anon-issue. I only wish the man like his other colleagues, was around to
answer for himself. My first achievement in that Government was to
initiate the creation of the highly successful Petroleum Trust Fund
-PTF. Former head of State General Muhamadu Buhari headed the fund also
successfully. I believe that his performance in the PTF and Abacha
Government has not diminished his status.Those who are still deaf and
have not heard the true situation regarding my tenure as Foreign
Minister as it does not in any way relate to the unfortunate occurrences
regarding Ken Saro Wiwa are advised to watch my 70th birthday
documentary still being run on the AIT television. I am prepared to
donate free copies.
15. I have strongly opposed the
option of a Muslim Muslim or Christian Christian Presidential ticket for
our party in the 2015 elections. I am a proud Roman Catholic Christian
who has a lot of respect for our Muslim countrymen. I studied
Architecture for five years at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and am
known to have a lot of committed personal friends who are muslims. But
we must not ignore the realities of the moment or be insensitive to the
Religious question in our country. In any case both Christians and
Muslims abound in both Northern and Southern Nigeria who can contest the
Presidency. In fact the choice of Presidential Candidate should be open
to the whole country. Those who imagine that the now notorious secret
caucus would succeed in producing a Muslim Muslim Presidential and Vice
Presidential Candidates for APC for the 2015 election and if that is why
this mess of owning the National Executive Council is all about they
must be living in cuckoo land.
16. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu
may recall that mostly for the same reasons I opposed his desire to run
as Vice Presidential Candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar under the AC
Action Congress banner in 2007. We settled for Sen Ben Obi from Eastern
Nigeria. I know he nurses a grudge against me for the position I took
which was strongly supported by leaders from five zones apart from the
South West. I have no regrets whatsoever for my courage to stand up
against oppression or dictatorship. No matter what any one might say
against the PDP, no individual claims ownership of that party. They in
their wisdom may bestow on any sitting President leader of their party. A
wise President in those circumstances who chooses competent aides and
advisers will surely succeed. Two balanced and strong political parties
APC and PDP do not in any way signal acall to arms and war between two
dangerous enemies. We are all Nigerians! As National Chairman of the NRC
I had excellent relations with the National Chairman of the SDP Amb.
Babagana Kingibe. We are friends to this day. Today I hold in the
highest regard and respect personal friends who are eminent leadersof
the PDP such as Dr Samuel Ogbemudia, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, Dr
Okwesilieze Nwodo, Senator Ben Obi, Amb. Hassan Adamu, Chief Stephen
Lawani, Dr Doyin Okupe etc. We on our part have not yet gained National
power so we cannot say for certain what we will do should we win the
Presidency but in my projection from current experiences indicate a
rather frightening prospect. May the Good Lord spare us the regime of
any tyrant!!
17. In conclusion. I did not attend nor
participate in the charade of a Convention. I paid N250, 000 for the
forms to contest for the National Chairmanship on the basis of the
overwhelming support I received from my State - Edo State. The forms are
still with me,which I will return and ask for a refund of my money. I
did NOT step down for anybody. When it became clear to me and many
others including my supporters that the outcome of the contest would not
be determined by a free and fair vote at the convention most of the
delegates tired and weary after waiting for more than twenty four hours
for accreditation and all day at Eagle Square departed.The venue was now
over run by all manner of people who broke through the barriers.
If
the procedures of admitting delegates were properly organized and was
free and fair, accreditation done on time, the National Interim
Executive Council left to run the event unfettered, the arena well
secured to hold only statutory delegates, the independence of States and
the Six Geopolitical Zones respected I would have participated leaving
my fate then to the judgment of the people. I understand one of the
leaders was moving from stand to stand with a so-called agreed list as
well as cash to the delegates. What a Shame!! I was the only Independent
candidate in the chairmanship contest running on my own credentials. I
was not a Governor cartel candidate or the lapdog of any "Leader". The
APC needed a strong and fearless independent mind to lead it at this
time. That is what I was offering.I am now reflecting on the situation
and consulting widely on my next line of action. Meanwhile I have read
fictitious reports particularly by the Nation Newspaper of actions they
allege I am now contemplating or taking.
SIGNED : CHIEF TOM IKIMI
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