All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Timi Frank, may join the race for the party’s national chairmanship seat in the forthcoming national convention.
An impeccable source, who confided in Blueprint newspapers yesterday, said the outspoken politician has started engaging like-minds on the possibility of his contesting the post.
Though the decision to seek the chairmanship seat has not been made public, but Blueprint gathered that the Bayelsa-born politician has been meeting with some South-south APC leaders since last week after the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which unanimously gave waiver for the current National Working Committee (NWC) to participate in the election.
A competent source, who pleaded anonymity, said Comrade Frank, might likely be the candidate of the ‘new PDP’ leaders who joined the APC before the 2015 general elections but currently felt aggrieved within the party.
Also, it was gathered that a forum of young stakeholders within the party has concluded plans to support the candidacy of Frank because “so many young people are disenfranchised under the current leadership.”
The new leadership is expected to emerge when the tenure of the current APC NWC comes to an end by June 30th 2018.
Another likely contender, who have been mentioned in the race, is the current national chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who is eligible to seek another four years in office.
Others are the former governor of Edo state Adams Oshiomhole, a former governor of Cross River state in the Third Republic, Chief Clement Ebri, and the ex-Minister of Petroleum under late General Sani Abacha’s regime, Chief Don Etiebet.
The outgoing deputy spokesman has severally criticised and accused the current leadership of the ruling APC under Chief Oyegun of ‘ineffective and impunity,’ and he believes that he could do better than the current national chairman.
When contacted on phone yesterday, Comrade Frank confirmed that he was in the race to lead the ruling party.
“Yes. I believe I have something to offer the APC. I believe I can put a lot of things right better than the current leadership under Chief John Oyegun, our national chairman.
“I may be young but I have what it takes to move the party forward. Tell me one thing I have said in the past about the APC that has not come to pass? So, I believe that it is time for a young man like me to offer myself to lead the APC.”
