Politics
Buhari disagrees with Oshiomhole, says aggrieved members right to go to court
President Muhammadu Buhari has come out in opposition to the position of his party’s National Working Committee (NWC), saying members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are aggrieved over the primaries for the 2019 elections are free to seek redress in court.
The president said this one week after the NWC of the ruling party threatened to punish members who took the party to court.
The NWC had asked aggrieved members to resolve their disagreements with the party internally.
“We strongly advise such members to withdraw all court cases, while approaching the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes,” the committee had said in a statement.
“In addition to this, aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the Party has put in place.
“APC members should understand that as a progressive party that operates on the principle of change, it is not a matter of choice to keep to the rules.”
Read also: Anambra Assembly members drag court, Obiano, CP into plan to impeach speaker
But in a statement Monday, Femi Adesina, Buhari’s spokesman, quoted the president as saying the courts remain the last option for the amicable resolution of disputes.
He insisted that the party must allow the aggrieved members to fully explore their democratic and legal rights.
The APC, in a decision ascribed to the National Working Committee (NWC) had last week threatened to punish members across the country who had dragged the party to court over various issues.
“We can’t deliberately deny people of their rights. We agreed that party primaries should be conducted either through direct, indirect or consensus methods, and if anyone feels unjustly treated in the process, such a person can go to court,” he said.
“The court should always be the last resort for the dissatisfied. For the party to outlaw the court process is not acceptable to me.”
He expressed dissatisfaction with the position of the NWC.
Governors and some members party have openly disagreed with the NWC led by Adams Oshiomhole over the primaries.
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