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John Odigie Oyegun

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John Odigie Oyegun
National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC
In office
July 2013 – July 2018
Preceded byBisi Akande
Succeeded byAdams Oshiomhole
Governor of Edo State
In office
January 1992 – 1993
Preceded byJohn Ewerekumoh Yeri
Succeeded byMohammed Abul-Salam Onuka
Personal details
Born (1939-08-12) 12 August 1939 (age 85)
Warri, Delta State, Nigeria
Political partyAll Progressives Congress (APC)

John Odigie Oyegun (born 12 August 1939) is a Nigerian politician who served as the first national chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria. He was the executive governor of Edo State between 1992 and 1993, during the aborted Third Nigerian Republic.[1]

Oyegun led then-opposition APC and Muhammadu Buhari to victory in 2015 after defeating ruling People's Democratic Party, PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan. It was the first time an incumbent president and a ruling party was defeated in a presidential poll in Nigeria.[2][3][4]

Background

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John Odigie Oyegun was born on 12 August 1939, in Warri, Delta State to an Edo father and Urhobo mother from Agbarha Ughelli. He attended St. Patrick's College, Asaba, and then went to the University of Ibadan where he obtained a bachelor's degree in Economics. He then served in various capacities as a federal civil servant working as a development planner.[1]

Political career

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Oyegun was elected as civilian governor of Edo State on the SDP platform, during the transition to democracy launched by General Ibrahim Babangida and served from January 1992 to November 1993.[5] He was removed from office after General Sani Abacha seized power. He became one of the leaders of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) which was formed in 1998. In 2009, he was chairman of the Technical Working Committee of CODER.[6]

On 13 June 2014, he was elected as the pioneer national chairman of the APC. The choice of Oyegun, from the mostly Christian south of the country, was calculated to win both Christian and Moslem votes in the challenge to President Goodluck Jonathan's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).[7]

In 2017, he came under intense criticism from various factions of the party including some powerful group of APC Governors for his handling of the party calling for his removal from office as national chairman of the party.[8][9][10] President Muhammadu Buhari, the leader of the party and seven of its governors backed Odigie-Oyegun to remain in office.[11][12] President Buhari later withdrew his support for Odigie-Oyegun when it became clear that most of the governors and other powerful members of the party were resolute in their efforts to remove Odigie-Oyegun from office and install a successor Adams Oshiomhole who is from the same state as Odigie-Oyegun.[13][14][15] Odigie-Oyegun stepped down from office of the National Chairman of the party by not seeking re-election for a second term in office at the 2018 elective national convention of the party, leaving Adams Oshiomhole as the sole candidate for the position.[16] Since leaving office, Oyegun has maintained a low public profile.

References

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  1. ^ a b Kujenya, Joke (27 June 2009). "Lessons life has taught me — John Odigie-Oyegun, ex-Edo State governor". The Nation. Archived from the original on 19 May 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2009.
  2. ^ "Buhari defeats Nigeria's Jonathan in historic election". France 24. 31 March 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  3. ^ Nossiter, Adam (31 March 2015). "In Nigeria's Election, Muhammadu Buhari Defeats Goodluck Jonathan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  4. ^ Nigeria, Patrick McGroarty in Lagos, Nigeria, and Heidi Vogt in Yola (1 April 2015). "Muhammadu Buhari Defeats Goodluck Jonathan in Nigeria Election". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 28 February 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "John Odigie-Oyegun: An old warhorse drawn into new battle". The Sun. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  6. ^ Adeyemo, Ademola (10 November 2009). "Sixteen Years After - Where Are Babangida's Civilian Governors?". This Day. Retrieved 28 December 2009 – via allAfrica.
  7. ^ "Nigerian opposition picks party chief ahead of election". SABC. South African Broadcasting Corporation. 14 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  8. ^ "17 governors plot removal of Odigie-Oyegun as APC chairman". The Eagle. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  9. ^ Godwin, Ameh Comrade (2 November 2017). "Oshiomhole speaks on 'plots' to remove Oyegun as APC chairman". Daily Post. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  10. ^ Ugbede, Lois (30 October 2017). "Protesters at APC secretariat demand chairman Odigie-Oyegun's removal". Premium Times. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  11. ^ Nwachukwu, John Owen (28 March 2018). "Oyegun: Edo APC backs Buhari's decision". Daily Post. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  12. ^ "Rumble in Nigeria's ruling party, APC as Buhari backs Oyegun's tenure elongation". Pulse. 29 March 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  13. ^ "Buhari Dumps Oyegun, Solicits Governors' Support for Oshiomhole as APC Chairman". This Day. 25 April 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  14. ^ "24 APC govs back Buhari to end Oyegun, others' tenure". Vanguard. 5 April 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  15. ^ "Oyegun: Govs back Buhari, APC to meet on fresh congresses". The Punch. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  16. ^ Jannah, Chijioke (20 June 2019). "Oyegun bitter over removal as Chairman, Shuaibu a mole - APC". Daily Post. Retrieved 10 March 2020.


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