He made this known to journalists at his Abuja residence on Friday night.

He said: “Even though I had the desire to re-contest as National Chairman of the Party, I have decided that it is ultimately in the best interest of the Party for me to withdraw from the race.”

Details later….

The post BREAKING: Odigie-Oyegun withdraws from APC chairmanship race first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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The APC National Chairman therefore called on security agencies to promptly apprehend those behind the recording and other similar acts, “no matter who they are.”

“Every ethnic based crises of whatever nature had started with hate speech. When people within the same country frame and define one another in the manner intended to set them up for violent attack, then they are setting themselves up for a major disaster,” he said.

“The “merchants of hate” don’t know or just don’t care about the consequences of the fire they are stoking in the country. But they have the experiences of other countries to learn from. Rwanda remains a classic example on our continent. However, even as terrible as Rwanda was, it would be nothing compared to what could happen if a huge country like Nigeria is allowed to fall into the disaster of hate-driven conflict. This is why we must all rise, regardless of our political differences and condemn these ugly and shameful acts with one voice.

Odigie-Oyegun observed that even though ethnic distrust is not new in the country, the rising wave of hate speech, negative religious and ethnic utterance and actions as is currently being experienced, is part of the fallouts of the 2015 presidential election.

“Anyone participating in an election knows that there could only be two outcomes, you win or you lose. When you lose, you prepare for the next election. What we have seen however is that since 2015, some politicians and political groups have carried on as if they wish the country itself to collapse just because they are no longer in power. This is tragic indeed.”

Odigie-Oyegun called on the Acting President to direct the security agencies to ensure that those behind these odious acts are promptly arrested and swiftly brought to justice. “We cannot sit idle and watch a few disgruntled individuals to destroy our democracy, and God forbids, the nation that we all fought hard to achieve and build,” he concluded.

The post Hate Speech Worse Than Terrorism -Odigie-Oyegun first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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He said the present administration was building a new economic model which will be sustainable, production-based and will diversify from oil to agriculture, solid minerals and other viable sectors.

Odigie-Oyegun said this at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja when he received political leaders from Delta Central Senatorial district, who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

The decampees were led by Johnson Boro, former Commissioner in the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

Other decampees are: Immediate-past PDP Chairman, Ughelli South LGA, Francis Aguonigho; Sleek Oshare; Isaiah Kekeje; Mathew Kwode; Robert Ojo; Sunny Ogbududu; David Edonor; Comrade Saturday Nukueye and Charles Otaiye.

The APC National Chairman stated that with the globally decrease in the demand for oil, Nigeria’s economic mainstay, the need to diversify the Nigerian economy has become increasingly imperative.

He added that the efforts of the Buhari administration will be evident in a few years as the country will be counted as one of the industrial power houses in Africa.

Odigie-Oyegun said: “Economically, things are difficult, there is no question about it. But in spite of that people of your quality sat down and still want to join the boat, because you have seen the future and you know the future belong to a changed country. A country that produces, not only consumes.

“In the last sixteen years of previous administrations, we just consumed. Thank God this nation brought President Buhari at the point it was about to collapse and all we are doing today is putting the pieces back together again. It is a difficult experience and as a result of that our people are going through some hardship. But there is no question at all, that you can see the silver lining that is on the way.

“By the end of this year, we will be net exporters of rice, today we have started to export formally yam. Today we are about certain that all the grains in this country can be produce locally. These are all part of the building blocks towards the Nigeria that we foresee in another year or two. So, tremendous is progress is being made to reverse the road at which we were travelling, to build a new economy, an economy based on what we can produce. An economy based on agriculture, based on our solid minerals.

“It is clear today that oil is gone. Britain has declared that in 40 years vehicles that consume fossil fuel will be phased out. The United States of America and other countries of Europe have made similar declarations. So it is fortunate that President Buhari is today in office taking us painfully through the process of change such that this nation will be counted in another few years as one of the industrial power houses of the African continent.”.

While welcoming the new entrants to the APC, Odigie-Oyegun said one of the resolutions of the Party’s National Leadership was to bring the South-South back into the mainstream of Nigerian politics. The APC National Chairman described the zone as one of the “strongest pillar for unity” in the country.

“I cannot resist but speak like somebody from the South-South on this very special occasion even though I belong to the nation as APC National Chairman.

“The point about us is that we are not tribal. The South-South is perhaps the strongest pillar for unity in this nation. The reality about the South-South is because we believe in the unity and oneness of this nation so strongly, we are ready to work with anybody who stands for one nation and one Nigeria.

“Today, two years now we have a new regime of change. Unfortunately to a large extent, we missed the boat. We have only one state in the entire South-South, Edo State. It is our resolve here at national headquarters to bring the South-South back into the mainstream of Nigerian politics. Because at the greatest point of danger for this country, it was the South-Southerners that stood firm at risk to themselves, at risk to their lives that this nation must remain one,” the APC national Chairman said.

He said with the new entrants from Delta Central, another solid block had been added to the APC’s aspiration to bring Delta State and indeed the South-South into the Progressives fold.

“I know how crucial central is in Delta state and with your entry into the Party, we have firmed up the central and can project from there to take Delta State and eventually take the entire South-South. Today we are adding one more solid block towards the unity, development and great of this country.

“I am aware there are scores of you, but because the ceremony is taking place at the National Secretariat, we had to limit the number of persons who could come, I know that at the appropriate time we will have a great big unity rally in Delta state where all those who have joined us in the recent past will be formally received and where we will also formally launch the movement for the recovery of Delta state,” the APC National Chairman said.

Speaking earlier, the APC National Vice Chairman (South-South), Prince Hilliard Eta said the defection of the PDP leaders from Delta Central to the APC was testimony of the paradigm shift being witnessed in the South-South.

Eta: “As you are aware, the other Party hitherto was in domination of our zone but because of the good work of this government, because of the leadership of this Party, there has been a paradigm shift. Our people are moving from the other party to the progressive family to actualise the development of the South-South, the Niger Delta and indeed Nigeria. It is in that line that we have distinguished sons of Delta State who have come to add value to our Party in Delta state, in the South-South region and in Nigeria.”

Chief Johnson Boro who led the decampees thanked the APC leadership, particularly the National Chairman for the reception. “We are extremely delighted with the reception you have accorded us today. We now believe that we are coming to a home where we will be accepted.“ He said.

Other APC National Working Committee (NWC) members at the meeting included: National Secretary, Hon. Mai Mala Buni; Deputy National Chairman (North), Sen. Lawal Shuaibu; Deputy National Chairman (South), Engr, Segun Oni and Deputy National Secretary, Hon. Tombari Giadom.

The post If not Buhari, Nigeria would have collapsed – Odigie-Oyegun first appeared on MegaIcon Magazine.

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