Chairman of the Policy Manifesto Committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chief John Odigie Oyegun, has openly apologised to Nigerians for what he described as the failure of successive governments to meet public expectations, admitting that the APC-led government he helped bring to power “went wrong from the very beginning.”

Oyegun, who spoke during an interview with ARISE News on Friday, said Nigeria’s worsening hardship, hunger, and insecurity compelled him to return to active political engagement despite having largely withdrawn from politics.

“I think I owe Nigeria explanation, contribution and atonement,” Oyegun said. “I might as well start with atonement. I was one of those at every campaign meeting. I saw visually the frenzy that party elicited from the public, the expectations.”

Recalling his interaction with former President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 campaign, Oyegun said the early warning signs were ignored.

“I remember riding with the president during the campaign, and the crowds were so ecstatic that he said, ‘How are we going to satisfy all these people?’ I told him, ‘You can’t solve every problem, just let them see that you gave your very best and restore hope.’ Sadly, it all went wrong right from the get-go and deepened the disappointment of the Nigerian population.”

Oyegun said Nigeria’s socio-economic decline is evident in the desperation of ordinary citizens reaching out to him daily.

“Before, people sent messages saying they couldn’t finish paying school fees. Today, the message is, ‘I can’t put food on the table for my children. Whatever you can send, send anything at all.’ That pains me to the core,” he said.

He added, “This is a blessed country, both in human and physical resources. So you ask yourself, where have we gone so wrong?”

Now leading the drafting of the ADC manifesto, Oyegun said the party’s first message to Nigerians would be an apology, stressing that the country cannot afford “business as usual.”

“This time, we have a totally different message to coin. We have to start with an apology: ‘Sorry, we have disappointed you repeatedly,’” he said.

According to him, the ADC is positioning itself differently from established parties by demanding sacrifice, not patronage.

“As of now, there are no governors, no major office holders. People are joining not because they are promised money or positions, but because they believe we can make a difference. They are ready to make sacrifices.”

Oyegun said he was not alarmed by the mass defection of governors to the APC, describing it as politically clarifying.

“We are very pleased that virtually all the governors have transited into the APC. We will even bring our brass bands if the rest join,” he said.

He added, “Now the struggle becomes clear: the people versus the oppressors — made up of many governors, all under one umbrella, all their sins forgiven.”

Oyegun disclosed that he privately confronted Buhari barely months into his presidency.

“Six months into assuming office, I went to Buhari and told him, ‘This is not what the people were expecting.’ He said he had learned his lesson and wanted to show he was a true civilian president. By the time I left that meeting, I said to myself, ‘Oh God, we are finished.’ Weeks later, months later, years later, I was proved correct.”

He said governance under APC quickly became “business as usual, with a new set of tenants in Aso Rock.”

On President Bola Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy, Oyegun said the policy was poorly handled and devastating.

“My initial shock was that this would have a traumatic impact on the population and should have been prepared for. Instead, fuel prices jumped overnight, and we have not recovered. We progressed from hunger to starvation.”

He explained, “Hunger is one meal a day. Starvation is no meal at all. You eventually begin to scavenge. That is where we are today.”

Oyegun also warned that insecurity is spreading beyond traditional flashpoints.

“Initially, Boko Haram was contained in Borno. Now insecurity is creeping south. The Kwara incident is a clear example. Credible local sources said security forces arrived ten hours after the attack started.”

On what must guide the ADC manifesto, Oyegun said the country needs unconventional thinking.

“We must think out of the box. The one thing that cannot be tolerated is business as usual. Nigeria has an existential problem. This is the nation’s last card.”

He stressed that selecting a presidential candidate would be based on pragmatic calculations, not sentiment.

“There can only be one president. We will do the arithmetic: if you run, what does it look like? If there’s a combination, what does the arithmetic say?”

Reflecting on his legacy at 86, Oyegun admitted past failures but insisted principles must prevail.

“We got the power, but we mocked it up. You cannot avoid principle. You must stand for something,” he said.

“This nation must look after its 230 million people. God did not make a mistake putting us together. Today we are mocked and derided. We deserve better.”

Oyegun concluded, “My prayer is that on my deathbed, I can smile and say, finally, Nigeria is out of the woods.” (Arise News)

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