By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
When President Ahmed Bola Tinubu met with state chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, at the Presidential Villa, in Abuja, where the chairman of the Cross River State chapter of the APC, Barr Alphonsus Ogar, known as political evangelist, serves as secretary to the body, those with faint knowledge of him felt Ogar may lack words to deliver at the session when he took to the floor at the instance of President Tinubu.
This was because it was unknown to these class of persons that Ogar was a charted orator
The meeting, which was the first President Tinubu held with APC state chairmen was also attended by the Vice President of Nigeria, Senator Kashim Shetima, the National Chairman and National Secretary of the APC, the Chief of Staff to the President, and the Minister of Information, among others.
Government officials, who were at the Villa for the two-hour meeting, expressed satisfaction with the organised and harmonious manner the chairmen coordinated themselves under the leadership of their acting chairman, the chairman of Lagos State APC, Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi.
The convivial atmosphere at the meeting flowing from the suggestions made by the state chairmen and the response from President Tinubu were one of a reunion between a father and his children who he has not seen since after the election.
Mr President, who was happy with his captains, the party chairmen in the states, expressed happiness lavishly by beaming with smiles.
In the ensuing press conference granted after the meeting by the Chairmen’s Forum, conducted by the Secretary and chairman of Cross River APC, the self acclaimed ‘Political Evangelist,’ Mr Ogar applauded for his comportment and articulate remarks on behalf of his colleagues at the presidential chambers.
Ogar’s eloquence, explicit marshalling of points extempore, including the sound presentation and coherent response to the questions from pressmen not only gave a picture of an articulate public speaker with full grasp of issues, but it was an opportunity to discover the newest political firebrand with rich command of grammar and the right mien and ability to deliver it with sweet flavor of elocution.
Chairman of Akwa Ibom State APC, Obong Stephen Ntukekpo, in his comment after the press briefing said, “As an indigene of Akwa Ibom State and chairman of the state APC, my day was made to see my fellow brother display such intellectual dexterity. Truly, my colleague and worthy brother made my day and that of all our colleagues as we had no regret when we all took the decision to make him the Chief Scribe of our Forum
“The President felt elated and unveiled the Cross River State APC chairman, Ogar, as a chartered orator
“The 15th day March became a day for Ogar, as deluge of ecomiums that was poured on him by both the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, his vice, the National Chairman of APC, the National Secretary of APC, the Chief of staff to the President, all our colleagues chairmen, including press men at the Presidential Villa because of his eloquence, intelligent and bold presentation of issues extempore, unveiled the world’s first political evangelist into a collosus of sort, as the elated President of the Federal Republic captured and nicknamed him a ‘Chartered Orator’.”
For the ebullient Cross River APC chairman who in the last few months was a subject of ridicule, mockery and sufficiently bathed with muds, brimstones and acidic venom’s by some interest groups in Cross River State APC, who even demanded his resignation and were bent on using every illegal means to achieve their nefarious objectives, this visit and the outstanding performance of Barr. Ogar, which the President has handsomely applauded was nothing short of an icing on the cake and he should be on his way out of Cross River State a more higher assignment t the centre.
