By; Sunday Ode, Abuja.
National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on Tuesday night expressed surprise over rumors of his planned removal from office, saying that such speculation was annoying.
Speaking at the end of a meeting of the national caucus of the party presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, he said that the crises among members of the ruling party were normal in an organization as big as the APC.
He told State House corespondents that he read talks about his removal in the newspapers just like other Nigerians.
Asked whether his position was under threat, he replied: “I am not aware. I read about it in the papers. It amuses me. Occasionally, it annoys me but it’s part of the process. It’s part of what you have to endure when you are in a position like I am am.”
The APC boss said the caucus deliberated on the numerous challenges besetting the ruling party since it came to power and had agreed on a course of action.
He declined to reveal the challenges discussed.
“As a party, we discussed all the issues and all the challenges that have occurred since the elections and we decided on a course of action,” he stated.
Odigie-Oyegun expressed the hope that once the 2016 budget was approved by the National Assembly, the APC government would begin to implement its promises to Nigerians.
He said: “Basically, we are expecting the budget to be out and once the budget is out, implementation of our promises made to Nigerians will begin. These are all the issues we discussed. That is what is critical to us, the delivery of our promises to the people of this country. So, we are waiting for the budget.”
On the crises among various members of the party, the party chairman said they were not unexpected given the nature of party organization but added that efforts were on to resolve them at different levels.
Asked whether the crises were discussed at the meeting, he said:”No, that is normal. These skirmishes don’t elevate it to this level. We have appointed groups that are looking into them and that are resolving the issues. They are busy resolving all those issues.
“That will always happen when you have an organization that is alive, that is virile and that engages in discourse, that will always happen,” he stated.
