A former presidential adviser, Babafemi Ojudu, has issued a public letter criticizing former All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, John Odigie Oyegun, for what he described as a failure to uphold internal democracy and due process during his time in the party.
The letter, released on Tuesday, follows recent public remarks by journalist and politician Dele Momodu, who praised Oyegun as a potential moral compass for Nigeria’s political opposition. Ojudu, however, disagreed with that assessment and said such narratives risk misleading young Nigerians.
Ojudu said, “While his intentions were noble, his conclusion was flawed. Not out of mischief, but perhaps out of an incomplete grasp of your role in the events that brought us to where we are today.”
He argued that Oyegun bears responsibility for many of the institutional weaknesses within the APC, having served as its national chairman for more than four years.
“You were National Chairman of the APC for over four years,” he said. “ You didn’t inherit a broken party. You helped build what it has become. If the party is struggling today, you must own a fair share of the blame. The foundation was flawed, and you laid much of it.”
Referring to his own 2018 governorship bid in Ekiti State, Ojudu accused Oyegun of disregarding the screening committee’s report and favouring preferred candidates.
“That one decision altered the course of Ekiti politics,” he said.
He also referenced similar patterns in other states, adding that under Oyegun’s leadership, party primaries were marked by exclusion, impunity, and financial barriers. “You had the chance to institutionalize due process. Instead, you made it optional,” he wrote.
Ojudu further criticised Oyegun’s recent move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), questioning the motive behind the defection. “At nearly 89, what example are you setting? This defection isn’t about democracy. It’s not about saving Nigeria. It’s about reinvention—personal reinvention, not national renewal,” he said.
He also highlighted Oyegun’s history of shifting political allegiances across several parties, stating that the pattern reflects “a prioritization of survival over principle.”
He wrote, “From APP to ANPP, to ACN, to APC, to SDP, and now ADC. Papa, ki ló dé? Se atijẹ yìí na ni? (What is it, Papa? Is it always about survival?)
“You were in a position to reshape politics for good. You could have set standards. You could have elevated leadership. Instead, you chose loyalty to power over principle.
“You helped build what the APC became. You presided over flawed primaries. You suppressed internal democracy. You selected loyalty over merit. And now that the house you helped build is cracking, you exit without explanation, without repentance, and without pause.”
In closing, Ojudu called on Nigerians, especially the youth, to scrutinize political figures and avoid being swayed by public praise that lacks critical context.
“This letter is not about bitterness. It is about memory. And duty. Some of us will document these events in full, if God spares our lives,” he wrote. “You may change your party, but history remembers your choices.”
