3rd July, 2015
The national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has denied taking bribe to support the agenda of the lawmakers that became principal officers of the 8th Assembly, noting that, he is a man who has built his integrity.
Odigie-Oyegun made a stern denial of the accusations which he described as “dirty, annoying and crude” when the leadership of the South-East, South-South Professionals paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja on Thursday.
“How many people know me personally, It is annoying, it is dirty, it is crude, it is unbecoming and it can only people who are totally devoid of conscience at any level of humanity that can do things of that nature,” he fumed.
He said the allegation in some media reports that he obtained financial inducements to support Senator Bukola Saraki’s bid to emerge as Senate President was false.
The chairman expressed shock over the allegation of his alleged roles in pitching members of the party from the North against those from the South.
He expressed delight at the visit at a time when he is undergoing a serious challenge over the National Assembly crisis.
“There is nothing they have not said about me but when you ask what has the man done, one of their reports said the present executive can not win us elections in 2019.
“Good Lord! You’ve not even finished 2015, you’re talking about 2019.
“The one that annoys me is the attempt to rubbish 75 solid years of a character that I’ve put together. They said I take gratification, gratification to what purpose?
“The only people who can say that are the people who don’t know my background or history, I was just over 30 when I started joining teams that were buying aircraft from Holland and Seattle in the US.
“That could not corrupt me. I was on the board of the Railways, NPA and the rest of them. If all these did not make me corrupt, how can I at 76 take money, money from who to do what?”
Outlining his various sacrifices he made for the country, he said as a one-time chief executive of the federal housing authority he did not award any land himself or to any member of my family.
“I could have acquired acres and the compensation government was paying would have covered that but out of love for my country and democracy, resistance to the continuation of military rule, I was on exile for four years.
“During that time my economic base was totally obliterated, by the time I came back, I was barely carrying a deadly bone.
“Obasanjo is a close friend, throughout his eight years tenure, I didn’t enter Aso Rock to curry favour, that is the kind of person I am.
“When they say I’m taking money from a senator, to do what? I am not a senator, I can not vote, I can not by being chairman pronounce him Senate President or Senate Leader so what his he giving me money for?
Earlier Emeka Ugwu-Oju, President of the South-East South-South Professionals, who led the delegation, pledged the forum’s unalloyed support to the chairman.
“We have come to pay our respect and show solidarity to the chairman of the party whose integrity and hardwork has stirred the party to victory in the space of one year he assumed the chairmanship position of the party.”