The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. John Oyegun has declared that he will not contest for a second term in office in the governing party’s forthcoming national convention scheduled to hold on June 23, 2018.
He stated this while speaking to journalists in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
Mr. Oyegun said even though his experience with the current situation in the party makes him the best candidate, his reason for withdrawing from the race was in the best interest of the party.
“Though I had the desire to re-contest as the National Chairman of the party, I have decided that ultimately in the best interest of the party for me to withdraw from the race.
“I believe that the party faces difficult date ahead and all critical stakeholders in its leadership would be required to bind together for common purpose. Therefore, the less contentious our national convention is the better the party. I have always sort to be part of solving the problem of APC; I do not intend to be a part of the problem for APC to solve” Oyegun said.
He however said that the tenure extension by 12 months which was earlier approved by the National Executive Committee of the party would have helped to stabilise the party in the face of the internal conflicts it is having and would have prevented the crisis that followed its recent congresses in some states of the federation.
The APC National Chairman added that the tenure extension would have ensured that the party went into the 2019 General Election “as a united fighting force, rather than one that was potentially weakened by internal conflicts arising from competitive congresses and convention”.
Mr. Oyegun, also called on party members to give support to whoever emerges as the next national chairman