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Tom Ikimi Quits APC

The Former National Chairmanship Aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Tom Ikimi, has announced his withdrawal from the political party. Mr Ikimi, in … Continue reading Tom Ikimi Quits APC


Ikimi

Tom-Ikimi quits ApcThe Former National Chairmanship Aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Tom Ikimi, has announced his withdrawal from the political party.

Mr Ikimi, in a statement made available to reporters on Tuesday said: “I have made the decision to withdraw my membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC) from today, 27th August 2014″.

In what he tagged, his reflections on his former party, Ikimi gave hard knocks, not only to the leadership of the APC but also the party itself.

“It is truly amazing that all who have spoken to me privately without exception agree with me that the image of the APC as is a Tinubu party has severely damaged the party, but each time I openly raise issues that challenge the consequences everyone keeps quiet.

“In the present atmosphere of envy, plots and gossip, the long-term satisfaction of a political comradeship and brotherhood anchored on shared principles and ideology, of honour, trust and confidence in pursuit of a common goal remain elusive.”

Ikimi’s participation in the party has been limited since the National Convention of the party in June which produced Mr John Oyegun as the party’s National Chairman.

Ikimi was interested in the position but was allegedly forced to withdraw from the race to pave way for the emergence of the alleged anointed candidate of the national leader of the party and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

He alleged that “the process adopted at the APC convention for deciding on a new national chairman was a sham” in which he did not participate.

“For the record, let me state that it was I who admitted Chief Oyegun into the APP in 1999.

“He joined the ACN a year ago in Benin City after he departed from the ANPP where in the 2011 general elections he was that party’s vice presidential candidate. He certainly did not depart from the ANPP with great pleasure. Therefore moving from one party to another should not be so strange to him”, he said, of the APC National Chairman.

Calling the APC undemocratic, and lacking the capacity to wrestle power from the ruling party, Ikimi, however, failed to state exactly which political party he would be defecting to.

He opined that “the party (APC) has collapsed in very many states such as Adamawa,” and “it is in distress in Edo, Ogun, Oyo. Lagos, Nasarawa.”

“I am at the stage of currently critically re-examining the two dominant political parties in our country, which are the APC and the PDP, in both of which I have had close working knowledge.”

Most defected members of the APC of late had joined the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but it is not yet clear if Mr Ikimi would be joining the PDP.