Aidoghie Paulinus,, Abuja
Immediate past national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has opened up on how he got over letters written against him while he was chairman of the ruling party by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Oyegun spoke in an interview with Daily Sun in Abuja about his low moments while he was APC national chairman, particularly, during the days of Tinubu’s letters concerning his activities.
Oyegun said he hardly have low moments even when things are not going well, adding that as national chairman of APC, it was obvious.
Tinubu had in his February 21, 2018, letter to Oyegun, accused him of undermining his efforts aimed at reconciling aggrieved APC members.
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Prior to the 2018 letter, Tinubu had in September 2016, issued a statement in the wake of the crisis that bedevilled the Ondo APC governorship primary election, demanding Oyegun’s removal over what he termed Oyegun’s anti-democratic handling of APC matters.
In the statement entitled: “Oyegun’s Ondo Fraud: The Violation of Democracy in the APC,” Tinubu said APC democratic credentials received a big blow by Oyegun’s conduct.
But the former governor of Edo State said the occasions were not low moments for him, even as he acknowledged that the letters written by the former governor of Lagos State were destabilising.
Oyegun, who clocked 79 last Sunday, said his integrity kept him throughout the challenging moments.
“They were destabilising. They were just challenges to be met. You see, it doesn’t drag you down because allegations were made, things were said and you knew in you, you are the strength of character to know that none of that was true.
“You were strengthened by the fact that there were no skeletons to unearth in the cupboard. So, it doesn’t drag you low; you are not afraid that people may chance on something disgraceful about your past and your activities.
“So, I just let them glide by. Of course, they were destabilising. Of course, you have to manage the system such that the people don’t react against falsehood. By and large, you can see that it worked,” Oyegun said.