Metuh’s Incarceration: It’s A Cleansing – Odigie-oyegun

SAN FRANCISCO, January 11, (THEWILL) – Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, has said that the party is not apologetic for the way the Presidency is handling the corruption war.

According to him, it doesn’t matter whose ox is gored, the nation has to be cleansed and this was not a witch-hunt of the opposition party.

Oyegun spoke with journalists late Monday, after a meeting of the party's National Executive Council (NEC) with President Muhammadu Buhari at the first lady's wing of the Presidential Villa.

The APC chairman, who was speaking in apparent reference to the incarceration of the spokesperson for the People's Democratic Party (PDP) as well as the former National Security Adviser, who was rearrested after being granted bail, said the APC had no intention of creating a one-party system in the nation.

“The APC is not in any way apologetic. We promised change and there is a lot of rot in the system. This must be cleansed anyway,” he said.

“No matter whose ox is being gored, wherever the tree is going to fall, so, let it be. We must get used to the fact that in the process of cleansing this nation there is going to be a lot of bullets to bite.

“The APC has not been in office at the national level in the last 10 – 16 years. So, the issue of whether somebody is PDP or not PDP does not arise. We have a nation to cleanse. The President has committed himself to that and we should take it whatever way it comes. We are not being apologetic about that at all.

“It has nothing to do with witch hunting. It just happened that the dramatist personae of the period all happened to be on one side of the political divide. We have absolutely no intention to pressurise any group or any nation towards a one party state. It is not in our interest so to do, because we need a vibrant opposition.

“We need an opposition that will contribute constructively to national discourse, which will make us sit up and deliver to the people what we promised. But the task is enormous and if anybody is ready to help to discharge these responsibilities he is most welcomed,” he said.

Oyegun revealed that the APC council was briefed on the state of the nation and the President's ongoing anti-corruption crusade.

“We are going away fulfilled, happy that government has substantially blocked the leakages in the system. There is still a lot to be done and we are looking forward to the early passage of the budget so that full implementation will begin.”

On the Bayelsa election, he said the party had deep regrets that there was so much blood unnecessarily shed in the process, but “we have a lot of reservation, some of which our candidate had very eloquently expressed. We are going to examine what has come out very, very carefully and decide the next line of action.”

Story by David Oputah