The Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has demanded that a former national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, refund what it described as outstanding loans and unpaid membership dues totalling over N150m.
The party said the alleged liabilities were incurred during Oyegun’s years as a member and leader of the APC, including the period he served as the party’s pioneer national chairman between 2014 and 2018.
Oyegun, a former governor of Edo State, recently dumped the APC for the African Democratic Congress, aligning with an opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election, a move that has seen him emerge as a vocal critic of the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Edo APC chairman, Jarrett Tenebe, said repeated efforts to recover the alleged debts from Oyegun had failed, prompting the party to make the matter public.
Tenebe claimed that party records showed that Oyegun was advanced loans during his tenure as APC national chairman and also failed to remit membership dues throughout his time in the party.
He said the party decided to press the demand openly following what he described as Oyegun’s refusal to honour his financial obligations to the APC, which, according to him, provided the platform for his political rise.
Reacting, Oyegun dismissed the claims as laughable, describing them as politically motivated and a sign of panic within the ruling party.
He said the APC was uncomfortable with the growing influence of the opposition, adding that the party had resorted to hostility, intimidation and attacks instead of constructive engagement, while insisting that the opposition was ready for whatever lay ahead.