Chief Tom Ikimi, a founding member of the All Progressives Congress, said he had withdrawn his membership of the party. Ikimi, who is a member of the party’s Board of Trustees, said he ceased from being a member of the APC from Wednesday, August 27 (today). The former minister of external affairs accused some leaders of the party, especially former Governor of Lagos State, Bola Tinubu, of imposition.
The former chairman of the defunct National Republic Convention said this in a statement he issued in Abuja on Tuesday. Ikimi, who did not mention the political party he would join next, said that he was studying the other political parties in the country.
He said, “I am at the stage of currently critically re-examining the two dominant political parties in our country, which are the APC and the PDP, in both of which I have had close working knowledge.
“I have not ignored the other political parties but in the light of the foregoing I must now search to really ascertain where indeed my true political friends exist. I need to be, at this time of my life, where I have friends who share a common vision with me and where my freedom, respect, honour and dignity would be guaranteed.
“Notwithstanding my enormous contributions over the past 12 years or so to building the alternative platform, after very deep thought and the widest consultations I have made the decision to withdraw my membership from the All Progressives Congress from today, Wednesday, 27th August, 2014.”
He added, “It is really ironic that I was not accused of going to sell the party over the past 13 years or so that I struggled in different recorded ways to make notable contributions in creating and building it up in its various forms but that I was now to sell the party after working successfully to achieve its present mega format. Who by the way is the buyer?
“Is it the PDP government that opened its doors once more recently to one of the APC foremost boastful and noisy leader to consummate a mega oil deal on the eve of that controversial APC convention? Who then is really selling and who is indeed buying? Who sold Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s ACN presidential candidature in 2011?
“Was it Chief Tom Ikimi? My tenure as Foreign Affairs minister during the Abacha regime has turned out to be a befitting reference in patriotic diplomatic service in our country for which I am extremely proud.”