Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to rescue the ruling party from the lingering crisis.
The ruling party has been enmeshed in crisis at the national and state levels, leading to the suspension of the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and defection of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi and other notable personalities.
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Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, together with two of his colleagues on Monday met with President Buhari over the party’s crisis.
Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau and his Jigawa State counterpart, Abubakar Badaru attended the meeting held at State House, Abuja.
The meeting was held 24 hours after the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, met with the president over the same matter.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Bagudu expressed optimism that President Buhari will support calls on organs of the party to resolve the current leadership crisis.
Flanked by his colleagues, Bagudu said the governors met the president to discuss party issues and their position to support all steps to unify and bring about peaceful resolution of the crisis in the ruling party.
He said the president listened “attentively” to them and gave an assurance that solutions would soon be found to all contentious issues.
Why Buhari remains neutral
Bagudu said President Buhari had refused to use his position to direct events in the party because he remained “a democrat.”
According to the Kebbi governor: “At all times, Mr. President has shown that he is a democrat, he is not running the party.
“Yes, he is the party leader, he allows party organs to do and decide what should be done.
“He is very hesitant to use his standing even as party leader, talk less of his authority as Mr. President of the country to direct things, but at all times, he has been alive to the issue and like I said earlier, I believe with the encouragement he gave us this morning (yesterday), with the level of details he has about all what is happening and the number of people he has listened to and heard.
“I believe that whatever needs to be done including the possibility of calling any of the organs of the party that is necessary for the resolution of lingering issues will be done immediately.
“Let me again say that the party is never a perfect assembly. There will always be issues and that is why we talk, but yes certainly, organs of the party need to meet and Mr. President without directing is always supporting the necessity of party organs meeting appropriately,” he said.
Our take on changes, protest
Reacting to the removal and replacement of the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Victor Giadom, with Worgu Boms and the protest at the headquarters of the party, Bagudu said: “I think our party, the All Progressives Congress is a party that believes in dialogue and contentious issues arise when you are dialoguing and we will recall that because of the sanctity, which President Buhari attaches to constitutionalism, we held our national convention literally at the same time we are holding primaries because Mr. President has always said that we told Nigerians that our party is going to be a party of due process and we will do that no matter the challenge of the moment.
“So, young people expressing their views by demonstrating, members of the party challenging court processes show that the people are free to express their views.
“And dissent is not to be suppressed.
“What is important is that all will be taken on board in arriving at a conclusion that will be to the satisfaction of most party members and indeed Nigerians.”
Protesters want NWC members sacked
Meanwhile, protesters Monday besieged the APC National Secretariat, calling for the sack of all NWC members.
The protesters, under the aegis of ‘Concerned APC Members’ led by Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, called for a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC).
Our correspondents report that it was not clear at the time of filing this report as to whether the protesters were sponsored by some people or not.
Comrade Ogenyi said the uncoordinated activities of the NWC had given room to “the low esteem opposition members” to criticise the APC and the government.
He said President Buhari was being distracted on a daily basis by those who ought to protect his legacy.
He said: “The present NWC has caused us to lose seven states to the opposition. APC had twenty 24 governors before the present NWC.
“Today, we have eighteen (18) governors and on Sunday the deputy governor of Ondo State left us and joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Are we making progress or going backward?”
Eta swears in Boms to replace Giadom
The acting National Chairman of the APC, Prince Hilliard Eta, Monday, inaugurated Mr. Worgu Boms as the new deputy national secretary of the party.
Boms was nominated from Rivers State by a faction recognised by the majority of the NWC members.
The faction was reportedly sacked on Monday.
Boms replaces Giadom who is laying claims to the position of acting national chairman of the APC.
Eta, who is acting on behalf of the ailing Deputy National Chairman, South, Sen. Abiola Ajimobi, while administering the oath of office on Mr. Boms said he would carry out all functions of the deputy national secretary as provided by the constitution of the party.
However, Giadom was also at the APC national secretariat yesterday with his retinue of security aides.
As he disembarked from his vehicle, some members were heard shouting “acting national chairman.”
Giadom had written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stating that he had not authorised and constituted any committee for Edo State governorship primary election in a letter dated June 18, 2020 and copied to security enforcement agencies.
He said yesterday that only the NEC could resolve the current leadership crisis rocking the ruling party and also described his suspension as “laughable.”
Aguma suspended in Rivers
Also, the crisis rocking Rivers State chapter of the APC took another dimension on Monday when 28 out of 38 statutory members of the party announced the suspension of Igochukwu Aguma, a loyalist of Senator Magnus Abe as the caretaker committee chairman.
Aguma’s suspension came barely 24 hours after the suspension of Victor Giadom from the party by a fact finding committee led by him (Aguma).
The 28 statutory members in a press briefing in Port Harcourt announced Sokonte Davies as Aguma’s replacement and rejected the purported swearing in of Boms as Giadom’s replacement by the party’s national leadership.
Aguma’s suspension was announced by the former senator that represented Rivers East senatorial district, Andrew Uchendu, on behalf of 28 out of 38 statutory members of the party in the state.
Ize-Iyamu picks APC ticket in Edo
Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu yesterday emerged the candidate of the party in the forthcoming September 19, governorship in Edo State
Recall that Pastor Ize-Iyamu was the PDP candidate in the 2016 governorship election in Edo State and was defeated by Godwin Obaseki who was then the APC candidate.
Ize-Iyamu defeated Pius Odubu and former chairman of Oredo Local Government Council, Osaro Obaze, to emerge winner of the direct primary election conducted in 192 wards across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Ize-Iyamu polled 27,838; Pius Odubu, 3,766; and Obazee garnered 2,744 votes.
The results were declared by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma who was the chairman, governorship primary election committee of the party.
In his speech, Ize-Iyamu commended the party members for electing him as the flag bearer of APC for the governorship election.
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