….. Constitutionally I am the acting spokesperson – Frank
….. Mai Buni the national secretary and myself will speak for the party for now – Oyegun
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Timi Frank, is insisting he is the official person to speak on behalf of the party while blaming internal crises amongst chieftains of the party for the inability of the party to record a landslide victory in the inconclusive poll.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja Frank said “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.
He said the APC constitution was clear on what should be done if there is vacant position that needed to be filled .Frank also cited the case of Uche Secondus, the acting National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who has been acting chair the moment Adamu Muazu resigned after the party lost the 2015 polls.
“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.
But John Odigie-Oyegun said that the party has been making moves to fill the post of national publicity secretary. He said Frank is not the APC spokesman. He said only Mai Buni the national secretary and himself will speak for the party for now.
Oyegun 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”.