Fallout Of APC Convention: I’m Not In Discussions With PDP, Presidency Officials – Ikimi

Tom IkimiThe dust raised by the outcome of the recently concluded maiden national convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is yet to settle as a chieftain of the party and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi, explained why he boycotted the epoch making event in Abuja.

Ikimi also said he would take a definitive stand on his next move within the week amid speculations he has concluded moves to defect to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ikimi, who was penciled down to contest the national chairmanship position of the APC, was conspicuously missing at the convention held at the Eagles Square, Abuja on Friday night.

The convention produced first executive governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, as the national chairman of the main opposition party.

However, Ikimi, who spoke with LEADERSHIP yesterday, said his presence at the convention would have given credibility to the ‘flawed processes’ that produced Odigie-Oyegun as national chairman of APC.

Ikimi said, “There was no election. Odigie-Oyegun was selected and appointed as chairman. That was why I did not fill and submit my nomination form. I boycotted the convention because its outcome was pre-determined”.

The former minister made the clarification less than 24 hours after Odigie-Oyegun insisted that Ikimi withdrew from the race of his own volition.

Odigie-Oyegun, on Sunday, insisted that his rivals for the exalted party position stepped down voluntarily to pave the way for his emergence, stressing that nobody was compelled to withdraw from the contest.

He, however, disclosed that the process towards reconciling those aggrieved by the outcome of the convention had begun. He said a powerful reconciliation team, to be headed by him, would be constituted to reach out to all them.

According to him, the peace moves would start from Abuja and move to other parts of the country.

But Ikimi, whose candidacy was rumored to be pushed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Borno governor, Senator Ali Mod-Sheriff, said boycotting the convention was the best option in the prevailing circumstances.

On his next line of action and the rumored secret meeting with PDP officials ahead of his defection, Ikimi said, “I am not discussing with PDP and the Presidency. I read the fiction in some newspapers this morning (Monday)…Please wait for a formal statement from me in the next few days, on the way forward”.