Again, APC peace moves falter

Moves by the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and governors under the platform of the party to resolve the crisis in the party again hit a dead end on Friday, as major actor in the drama refused to shift ground.

The party’s NEC, which met earlier in the day in Abuja mandated its 22 governors to work out modalities to end the crisis, which had created rival groups after the election into leadership positions in the National Assembly, prompting the states’ chief executives to hold a further meeting in that direction.

The governors under the aegis of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) led by Imo State’s Rochas Okorocha met for the first time with feuding party members in the National Assembly in Abuja on Friday.

Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, as well as Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, who are the APC’s preferred candidates for the positions of the Senate President and Speaker respectively, attended the meeting.

The peace moves of the governors failed because the rival groups could not agree on the peace proposals of some party leaders as of the time the meeting was adjourned till Saturday (today)

Reports say that the governors had told the party’s chieftains that the crisis should be left for them to resolve.

A National Assembly official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that on the request of the APC’s governors, the NEC did not bother to discuss the issue at its meeting on Friday.

Investigations showed that the governors and the APC lawmakers at their meeting considered proposals by some party chieftains on ways to end the crisis.

The proposals, it was learnt, included a plan that those who lost out in the race for the National Assembly leadership should be allowed to chair their preferred committees.

A top member of the party, who attended the meeting said, “Also under consideration is another proposal to ask Dogara and Saraki to share the leadership positions between ‘party loyalists’ and those who defied it.”

It was gathered that the rival groups had not agreed on terms for truce as of the time the meeting was adjourned till Saturday.

It was learnt that Dogara and Saraki were not favourably disposed to the proposal, particularly sharing of leadership positions, which had already been announced in the Senate.

But another member, said under confidence that there were positive signs that the issues would soon be resolved.
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According to him, the party is slowly coming to terms with the reality that the deed has been done, hence the need to find a way of accommodating loyal party members.

Okorocha, who spoke to newsmen after the meeting, said efforts were being made to resolve the dispute to enable the party to forge ahead with its promise to deliver the dividends of democracy to Nigerians.

Okorocha said, “You will not see more disagreements as against the past, peace has come to our party.

“Both Senate President (Bukola Saraki), and the Speaker; (Yakubu Dogara), Senator Ahmed Lawan and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, will work together for the unity and progress of our party.

“By next week, we will give you people the details of the outcome of this peace meeting, but so far so good, all things being equal.

“The party has accepted the leadership of the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. To God be the glory.”

The NEC meeting held earlier did not produce the expected fireworks. This, it was learnt, was largely because of the presence of President Muhammadu Buhari and the absence of those who had raised issues with the party’s NWC.

President Muhammadu Buhari, at the NEC meeting, had appealed to warring factions within the party to sheathe their swords in the interest of the party and the nation.

In his opening remarks, Buhari recalled the journey of opposition political parties in the country before three of them merged to form the APC. He explained that his respect for party supremacy compelled him to attend the NEC and Board of Trustees’ meetings when he was invited.

Buhari said, “I have appealed to you all through our chairman, the leadership of our party, through their Excellences, our governors, through our senators and House of Representatives (members) that the APC must not disappoint its constituency of our nation state.

“Let us not throw this success to the wind. Let us, as members of the APC, no matter our personal differences, get together and meet the mandate given to us by this country. This is my personal appeal. In the name of God, no matter your personal interests and your ambition, please keep it to your heart and in your pocket, let APC work and let the system work and let us have a government that will earn the respect of our constituencies.

“My problem is helping the constituencies. I cannot confine myself to the cage within these our quarrels and refuse to participate in meetings of NEC and eventually BoT because I respect the superiority of the party.”

In an interview with journalists after the meeting, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki said the party was at the verge of resolving all the issues.

Those who attended the meeting included President Buhari; Governors Ibrahim Geidam, Yobe; Ibikunle Amosun, Ogun; Simon Lalong, Plateau; Abubakar Sani Bello, Niger; Aminu Bello Masari, Katsina; Sen. Bindow Jibrilla, Adamawa; Akinwumi Ambode, Lagos; Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Sokoto; Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Kano; Sen. Atiku Bagudu, Kebbi; Adams Oshiomhole, Edo; Rochas Okorocha, Imo; and Abdul’aziz Yari, Zamfara.

Others were: Deputy Governors Nuhu Gidado, Bauchi; Ahmad Zanna Mustapha, Borno; Silas Agara, Nassarawa; Saraki; Speaker House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Senator Ahmed Lawal; Femi Gbajabiamila; Senator Ali Ndume; Senator Bala Ibn Na’Allah; Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Suleman Lasun; and Odigie-Oyegun.

But Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, and the former Interim National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, were absent from the meeting.

It was learnt that the process of reconciling aggrieved members of the party could not be advanced a step further due in part to the absence of these party leaders.
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Although no official reason was given for their absence, it was learnt that Tinubu was in Abuja, as of the time of the meeting.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while addressing journalists after the meeting, said he did not know why Tinubu was not in attendance. He, however, added that he was not a member of the party’s executive.

Mohammed explained that Tinubu was free to attend or not to attend the meeting.

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