PIONEER civilian governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and National Chairman (South) of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has resigned his membership of the party.

In the resignation letter addressed to the National Chairman of the ANPP, Dr. Ogbonnaiya Onu, Chief Oyegun while referring to the purported indefinite suspension from the Edo State branch of the party, said that he was leaving the party to save everybody from trouble.

According to him, I therefore wish to save everybody a lot trouble by doing what I ought to have done long ago  for obviously misplaced loyalty and that is resigning, with effect from the date of this letter, my membership of the ANPP and by implication my position as Deputy National Chairman – South”.

Referring to the suspension by the party in Edo State, the former governor described the action as clearly unconstitutional and designed solely to embarrass his person and in the process the party was being held to public ridicule.

“I would like to reiterate, without any equivocation, the comment I made in my personal capacity, which is that I fully support the bid for re-election of the incumbent governor of Edo state, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, as he has performed brilliantly”.

“You know my views on this subject very well, not only have I discussed them with you but also did with Alhaji Bashir Tofa at his meeting with you which I was supposed to attend but could not due to circumstances beyond my control”.

“For many years I have been at the vanguard of the effort to unite the opposition parties in Nigeria with the aim of deepening democracy through presenting the public with credible alternatives choices during elections. The CAN has been a principal objective because of its strength, vibrancy and focus which the ANPP would have benefited from and which combination would have been good for Nigerian democracy”, he said.

On the state of the ANPP in Edo State Chief Oyegun said the party in its extremely weakened and supine condition due to factors which the National Chairman was very aware of and which are nationwide in their impact on the party had three choices.

He listed the choices to include adopting Comrade Adams Oshioimhole who has between a brilliant performer and leads a party , “we are looking forward to working with in future as the     ANPP candidate, and running our campaign accordingly whilst we take time to rebuild the ANPP and recruiting some joke of a candidate as no ANPP member was willing , or has the capacity, to take on an overwhelmingly popular and performing governor Oshiomhole of refrain from presenting any candidate”

He said that the party with the connivance of the National chairman or at best acquiescence  and contrary to his advice adopted the worst possible option by scavenging for a non-party member from one of the briefcase political parties to be its candidate.

He said that he would not be a party to such charade and senseless game of make believe just as he said that he would not challenge the purporte3d suspension as that will be a totally sterile exercise and a waste of precious time an effort.