National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, has congratulated newly-elected chairman of opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, on his election at the party’s national convention on Saturday.
Odigie-Oyegun, in a statement personally signed by him on Tuesday, also congratulated other elected PDP national officials.
“It is my hope that the newly-elected PDP National Chairman will use his experience garnered over the years to ensure that the PDP assumes its role as a responsible opposition Party in the country,” the statement reads.
Odigie-Oyegun’s gesture comes after his party’s publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused PDP of rigging elections into its national executive.
That statement was heavily criticised by his PDP counterpart, Kola Ologbondiyan, who accused APC of hypocrisy.
“Our Party wholeheartedly welcome opposition because we believe that democracy cannot thrive without a vibrant but responsible opposition that puts the nation first. This will often challenge you to balance partisan interests with overall national considerations,” Odigie-Oyegun’s statement continued.
“I assure the PDP National Chairman of my willingness to engage him robustly in an atmosphere devoid of acrimony and rancour. I believe that working together we can both elevate the language and temper of politics in our country, thereby providing the enabling environment for democracy to thrive in our country.”
