- Urges President to appoint Oyegun diplomat
The suspended Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Comrade Timi Frank, on Monday warned that long silence by President Muhammadu Buhari on the perennial crisis rocking the ruling party could result in its untimely death.
Frank said that the inability of President Buhari to speak out on the issue had become worrisome.
Speaking with newsmen in Abuja, Frank urged the President to appoint the APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, a diplomat to pave the way for him to leave the position of the party chairman and allow genuine reconciliation to take place in the party.
He described his suspension by the South South zone of the APC as a joke taken too far, saying, “It is not possible to suspend me because the zonal level lack the mandate.”
While announcing the suspension of Timi Frank from the party at the weekend, the South South zonal Chairman, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, said, “In furtherance of satisfying the provision of the constitution of the APC, I had to call for this emergency meeting of the zone and after very exhaustive deliberation, the zone has arrived at the confirmation of the disciplinary committee’s report that one, Mr Timi Frank be suspended from the party forthwith in line with article 1 (d) and (f). Having been accepted by this house, Mr. Timi Frank hereby stands suspended by this party.
“Number two, this zonal committee shall recommend to the National Executive Committee for the expulsion of Timi Frank from this party in line with Article 21 D, H (2 and 3) of our constitution. This is the resolution of the South South Zonal Executive Committee.”
While reacting to the suspension, Frank said, “As it stands it’s only the President that can unite us again but as long as the President remains silent, this crisis will not be resolved. The President should listen to the call by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that this chairman should resign and pave way for someone who can be national chairman to resolve and put us back in form.
“And if the President wants to appreciate the support of Oyegun, the President has so many ways to compensate him. I will appeal to the President that if it is possible, to appoint Oyegun as an ambassador because being a former career civil servant, he will do better as an ambassador not as national chairman.
“I want to appeal to Mr. President to intervene in the crisis rocking this party.”
Frank said he would continue to speak out on the crisis rocking the party until the right thing had been done, adding, “What I’m fighting for today is not only for myself, but to save the faces of young men in politics and posterity will judge if we refuse to speak now against all forms of injustices against Nigerian youths.”
While calling on his supporters to disregard his purported suspension, the APC deputy spokesman said he was confident that President Buhari was not aware of the “kangaroo panel set up to suspend me and so did not support the plot against me by Chief Oyegun.
“I want to make it very clear to you, and to the Nigerian people and my supporters that I still remain a loyal member of the APC and I want to make it clear that I have not been suspended and I make it clear to you that I still remain in charge as acting publicity secretary of the APC.
“It is very clear that there is desperate move by my national chairman and his cohorts to get rid of me to enable them appoint an acting publicity secretary that will be a puppet that will be committed and loyal to them but not to the party.
“There is a procedure to suspend me and it is very clear. It is sad that neither my national chairman nor zonal chairman, who happen to lead this course, are working along that procedure.
“First of all I’m not a zonal officer of this party, I’m a national officer of this party. So, I see no reason why the zonal chairman will be the one to set up a committee that belongs to his friends and brothers.
“And I made it clear as soon as it was setup that I won’t attend to any committee that is not setup by the NEC of the party. It is only the NEC that can set up a committee to suspend me.
“It is because I love this party that is why I want it rescued. This party needs help, otherwise if this party continues like this we would suffer in 2019. We can only win 2019 (elections) when we are united, not as a divided house.”
