Oyegun hands-over to Oshiomhole, prays for party higher growth

* Your place is guaranteed in history, Oshiomhole tells Oyegun
The outgoing National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief John Odigie Oyegun, on Tuesday, formally handed powers of the Chairmanship of the party to his successor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhle at the party National Secretariat in Abuja.

The former Edo State Governor, who drove into the party secretariat at about 12.15pm amidst cheers from party faithful went into the Chairman’s office where Oyegun received him.

At the ceremony performed before a mammoth crowd including the newly inaugurated National Working Committee (NWC), Oyegun said: “It is my expectations and prayers that yours will be a most distinguished and successful four years;

my duty today is brief and short and this is to introduce you basically to what is now your property and headquarters, your building and office and to go through the formalities of a hand over.

I have put my thoughts down briefly, I didn’t want to make it long because thank God you have some of the best minds who have survived the electoral process and will be working with you”.

Some of the things handed over to Oshiomhole included an inventory of all that concerned the party, among which were purchase papers of its headquarters building, list of its current members of staff, and minutes of meetings held by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Oyegun also explained that the minutes contained decisions made in the past by the party to serve as background documents to avoid distortion of facts in the future.

He said, “I welcome you most heartily and I think that all that is left is to pray that your period will bring signal success which will make the party grow to greater height, knowing your pedigree, I have no doubt that this will become a reality as this party is the smartest in the whole continent”.

He, however, apologized for not handing over on Monday, adding that he needed time to rest after being awake for two days of sleeplessness at the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the party´s National Convention where the new executives were elected.

“For those over 70, such sleeplessness does take its tool, I welcome you Mr. National Chairman, I wish you the best and may God bless you and your team and grant you wisdom in the elections that are coming in Ekiti and Osun states and may God grant you success”, Oyegun added.

Responding, the new National Chairman of the APC said that the place of Odigie-Oyegun is guaranteed in history, adding that he made record as the party´s national chairman who led it to victory in the 2015 presidential election.

He said: “I thank you on behalf of the newly elected members of the party´s National Working Committee (NWC) for your leadership and leading us to victory in the 2015 presidential election, leading us to win more states.

However, there are facts that are stubborn, stubborn facts that are to your credit and I think you have every right to enjoy the fact that you made record as our party´s national chairman.

“When they are going to write the history of internal democracy, stability of leadership and adherence to Constitution in terms of how people come in and when they leave office, you will be captured.

You will be the only one in our political history so far since 1999, who was elected and ran the party on its rules and existed in glory on the basis of those procedures provided for in our Constitution”.

Oshiomhole noted that in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 17 years in power, it had 14 national chairmen, adding that Odigie-Oyegun helped the APC to internalize democracy and due process while in office laying good foundation for others and for the APC especially and would be calling on him for advice.

He said, “I guess you might wish now that you are out of office you are going to be less busy, you are still going to be busy, because am going to trouble you.

I can´t learn new tricks at old age; I’m going to trouble you about advice and things I see and how you think we should deal with them as you can be elected into a position, but age is not by election, that is by God, and there is wisdom that is associated with aging; what you have is not only age, but also experience in various facet of life”.

He assured that the party´s new NWC would build on its former national chairman´s legacies and improve on the records on ground.

Oshiomhole was elected as the APC unopposed national chairman through affirmative vote at the party´s just concluded national convention after three other aspirants stepped down for him.

Meanwhile, during interaction with members of the party officials, Oshiomhole, at the party secretariat, sacked an impostor who claimed to be the Director of Finance of the party, Timothy Akojoru who has been on the party’s payroll without proper documentation as a bonafide staff.

Oshiomhole said all members of staff should be prepared to work, saying that; “We are ready to increase staff salary but all must be seen working”.

He added that resumption time is 8am while closing time will be 4pm, saying that there will be no unserious staff at the secretariat.