This is as Vanguard reliably gathered that some Ministers have frowned at the comment made by the APC national Chairman where he had threatened to expel cabinet members who disobeyed his directives from the party. But the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that any misgivings between the party and cabinet members will be resolved amicably.
Meantime, Comrade Oshiomhole was at the Presidential Villa, to see the President after the weekly Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting at the Council Chamber. Presidency sources revealed that President Buhari was not happy with the comment by his party’s national chairman where he said that if the President was condoning indiscipline from his cabinet he was not going to condone it.
“The President was not happy with the comment of the APC Chairman because it portrayed the President as inefficient,” the Presidency source had said. While berating the Labour Minister for not carrying out his directive that he (Ngige) should inaugurate the board of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund, NSITF, Oshiomhole said, “If the minister refuses we will suspend him from the party.
You know we must return to internal discipline. “For me it is the height of mischief for any minister, you cannot purport to be honourable minister and you act dishonourably and nobody is greater than the party. “And if the President condones disrespect for his office, I will not condone disrespect for the party. And when we expel the minister we will prevail on the president that he can’t keep in his cabinet people who have neither respect for his own decisions nor have respect for the party.”
Speaking while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC, meeting, the Minister of Transportation who interjected from the question to the Minister of Information on what was the position of the council on the face off between Oshiomhole and Ngige, said that there were many fake stories going around. Amaechi said, “How do you know it is true, I saw in social media this afternoon where they said I said the Chairman is a bad luck.
I have never said such a thing. They quoted me that I was attacking the Chairman.” On his part, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said, “Two weeks ago, we launched a campaign against fake news and it is one of the most dangerous phenomenon we have today. “We don’t know who said what and until we know and the ministers confirmed this statement credited to them. It is a difficult time really. I can assure you if there is any problem between the party Chairman and any of our ministers, it will be resolved.”
On whether the defection of 15 senators and 37 House of Representatives members from the APC to the opposition political parties was discussed at the FEC meeting, Mohammed said, “no it was not discussed at FEC and secondly Mr President has already given our position which is that this is a democracy, people are free to make choices .”
