The ruling All Progressives Congress may no longer exist by January 2017 if President Muhammadu Buhari fails to address the lingering problems within the party, according to the party’s acting National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank.
He gave this warning in Abuja while appraising recent developments in the party, revealing that several realignments were presently going on in the country which could make the APC cease to exist totally by 2019.
“You are aware that there are several realignments going on now in the country and my party has only now and January 2017 to put its house in order.
“If we don’t harmonize all the contending interests, some of us would be exploring new avenues to pursue our various political agenda,” he said.
Frank said the only way to rescue the party would be for the President to intervene and support calls for the resignation of Chief John Odigie-Oyegun as the National Chairman of the APC.
He reminded the President of how Chief Odigie-Oyegun as Chairman of ANPP frustrated him (Buhari) out of the party, forcing him to go and form the defunct Congress for Progressive Change CPC.
“The same thing is now happening in the APC and Mr President has to act fast because that same thing that drove him out of the ANPP then is also about to drive some people out of the APC because of Oyegun,” he stated.
Frank, who claimed he was speaking the mind of most members and other stakeholders of the party, asserted that,
“at the appropriate time, more leaders of the party would speak out.”
He said he would soon write formally to the President and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, as well as the leadership of the National Assembly to seek their audience in other to adequately brief them on the circumstances that have necessitated the calls for Odigie-Oyegun’s resignation.
“I will also consult the governors (of our party) to make them understand the danger inherent in their silence in the face of the wave of crisis that has enveloped the party.
“This is like a rescue mission I am about to embark on. This struggle to rescue our party is not personal. It is because I love this party so much and I am a very loyal party man and I believe in this party.
“I am also going to pay a visit to our former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; I will also visit Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all the past national chairmen that made the merger to work. I am going to pay visit to my own former national chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, of the then New PDP, Chief Bisi Akande of the then ACN, Chief Ogbonnaya Onu of the then ANPP, Chief Tony Momoh of defunct CPC and Gov Rochas Okorocha who led a section of the APGA to make the APC. This visit is one that I will start anytime soon,” he said.
The acting spokesman of the party explained that he decided to first visit Baraje “since he was the chairman of the New PDP that led us to join the APC.”