SAN FRANCISCO, May 19, (THEWILL) – As the September date for the Edo state governorship election draws closer, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has revealed that he is under pressure as a result of the election.
Ahead of the September 10 election, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has already directed political parties to conduct their primaries between July 2 and July 4.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday when the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led peace committee visited him at the APC secretariat, Oyegun, who governed Edo between 1992 and 1993, said his actions about the poll were being misunderstood because he hails from the state.
His words, “I am under intense pressure. Apart from the national working committee, various stake holders in the state to do one thing or the other to salvage the situation.
“But doing one thing or the other will almost certainly be interpreted from different groups to mean that I am for A or for B and it is something I had to avoid at all cost because at the end of the day I am the referee of the match that is going to happen.
“And even if inside me I feel that one team is better than the other, it might not even be shown on my face or from my voice. So I thank you very much for restoring relative peace in the party.
“I want to thank all the stakeholders-from the governor down to the least-for the cooperation they gave to your committee. I am pleased at the level of your work. I haven’t read your report yet but I know that I haven’t gotten one single criticism, from one single stake holder, about the work that this committee did.
“And about the relative level of peace that now envelopes the party in Edo State, the restoration of some degree of civility, the acceptance of the need to work together as a party. So, I congratulate you for people of your calibre, people of your stature, people of your wisdom to pull the kind of result that you pulled at so short a time,” the APC chairman stated.
