By Omeiza Ajay

Theruling All Progressives Congress APC is understandably, acongress of politicians of many shades, hues and colours. What with the various parties that merged, ostensibly with just one goal: to unseat the then Goodluck Jonathan-led Peoples Democratic Party PDP administration.

With that sole goal in mind, the party did not prepare to manage the spoils of war and so when it eventually got power at the centre, it became a congress of crisis with each disputant laying claims to substantial portions of the booty.

Thus, if managing the struggle was easier, managing victory became more herculean and so it was, that the four-year tenure of the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun led National Working Committee NWC was more or less about troubleshooting, here and there.

Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC)

However, there are many who have also argued that the problems were self-inflicted. Fringe forces in the party are of the opinion that when the wood insect gathers firewood, it carries it with its head. But pro-Oyegun forces would always hit back by saying when a man takes an ant-infested firewood home, he has inadvertently invited the lizard home for a feast. To them, the problems of the party were not a creation of Chief Odigie-Oyegun but a reflection of the deeper challenges of managing a party that emerged the way the APC did.

A former federal Permanent Secretary and one time Governor of Edo state, Chief Odigie-Oyegun would go down in history as being the first elected chairman to lead the opposition, and a new one at that, to defeat a ruling party in Nigeria.

He maintained dignified calm when some interests orchestrated an “Oyegun must go” campaign. Rather than a tit for tat, he was diplomatic even in his responses to several allegations by a leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Into state Governor, Owelle Rochas Anayo Ethelbert Okorocha.

While the “Oyegun must go” refrain was loud, the former Edo state governor said he maintained calm because he had a mandate to discharge and because he did not think it was time for him to go.

In spite of these, Odigie-Oyegun’s handling of the party crisis in Kogi, Kaduna, Cross River and a few other states had drawn him some flaks.

Some analysts believe that he did not discharge himself creditably and at the root of these assertions is the allegation of some pecuniary interests levelled against him.

There is also the issue of staff welfare. Even though, they have continued to receive their salaries, many staff of the party have continued to advocate for more “goodies” especially during festive periods.

In all of these, that the Bini chief was able to manage contending forces in the party without any major bloc pulling out during his tenure, is a credit to his ability to manage the storm, even in a tea cup.