• Protesters demand NWC dissolution, emergency NEC meeting
• After suspension, Giadom writes INEC, says Edo primary illegal
The All Progressives Congress National Reconciliation Committee has received no fewer than 170 petitions from aggrieved party members across the country.
The committee’s Secretary, Senator John Enoh, who disclosed this in an interview with one of our correspondents on Monday, said the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent ban on interstate movements made the panel to suspend its sittings across the country.
Enoh stated this as the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and the APC governors on Monday intensified efforts to prevent the party from disintegrating.
But as the President and the governors were meeting at the Presidential Villa, sides to the APC crisis at the national level were taking actions that showed that the problem was far from being over.
The party’s Deputy National Secretary, Victor Giadom, who last week declared himself as the acting national chairman following the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole’s suspension by the Court of Appeal, disowned the governorship primary election conducted by the APC on Monday in Edo State.
On its part, the Abiola Ajimobi-led National Working Committee, consisting of 15 members of the NWC replaced Giadom as the deputy national secretary.
The APC National Reconciliation Committee headed by the party’s former Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, was set up in February following the failure of previous panels to resolve the party’s crises across the country.
For example, Oshiomhole had in December set up a committee led by the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, to resolve the crises.
But the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, rejected the composition of the committee arguing that it would not be fair to him.
The party is currently battling crises at the national level and state chapters such as Edo, Zamfara, Bayelsa, Rivers and Ondo.
The Secretary to the APC peace panel, Senator John Enoh, told The PUNCH that because of the nature of its assignment, the committee had not been able to make use of the Internet to conduct its meetings with aggrieved members.
In response to a question as to whether the committee had taken advantage of the Internet, Enoh said, “We tried that but it has not worked. As soon as it does, we will start. Our chairman (Chief Bisi Akande) is locked down in Osun State. We are just hoping now that flights will resume. If it is not certain that they will, we will have to see how to move around it and start.”
Asked if the committee had received additional petitions since the last time the panel met, he said, “Additional memos keep tickling in but not as many. We have about 170 memos from party members. We have our job cut out for us.”
The panel, a few months ago, said it had got 150 petitions.
Giadom writes INEC, says Edo primary illegal
Meanwhile, Giadom on Monday wrote the Independent National Electoral Commission and declared the just concluded Edo State APC Governorship primary illegal.
Giadom, in the letter, advised INEC not to recognise the outcome of the primary election.
In the letter dated June 18, 2020, he stated, “Reports reaching me are that some persons have perfected conducting direct governorship primary for our great party in Edo State, next week under the purported chairmanship of His Excellency, Governor Hope Uzodinma, on Monday, June 22, 2020.
“Kindly note that as acting national chairman of our party, l did not authorise such a committee, neither have l inaugurated one. The earlier announced date for the primary, that is June 22, 2020 has been postponed. You are, therefore, advised not to give any support to any such committee or to monitor any such primary. A new date for the primary would be communicated to you soonest. We regret the inconvenience this might cause your commission.
“A copy of this letter is being sent to the relevant law enforcement agencies, the Chairman of Edo State APC, Mr Anslem Ojezua, for their information and necessary actions.”
Ajimobi-led NWC inaugurates Giadom’s replacement
But despite Giadom’s letter, the Ajimobi-led NWC went ahead to inaugurate Worgu Boms as his replacement as the deputy national secretary.
During the inauguration at the party’s national secretariat, the National Vice-Chairman, Hilliard Eta, urged the new deputy national secretary to be serious with his responsibility.
Giadom is working for fifth columnists – Deputy spokesman
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, faulted Giadom’s letter to INEC. He said, “The letter written by Giadom to INEC simply shows he is working with fifth columnists to destroy our party. We know their game plan. They don’t want our party to retain Edo State or even produce a governor in the South-South so that they can remain relevant.
“Yes, we agree, we have problems in our party and we are addressing them but of what use is his letter to INEC? What does he and the people he is working for want to achieve?”
The embattled deputy national secretary described the inauguration of Boms as a joke.
He said, “That is laughable. Remember, I was elected at the national convention and we have told Nigerians that that level of impunity and rascality in this party must be corrected.
“You cannot smuggle somebody into the NWC without an election. Anybody who wants to be a member of the NWC should present his or herself for a democratic election.”
South-South APC backs NWC, disowns Giadom
However, the APC officials from the South-South, Giadom’s zone, disowned him.
The officials led by Eta, after a meeting on Monday, said they had received an interim court order restraining Giadom from parading himself as the deputy national secretary, acting national chairman and as a member of the NWC of the APC.
They said, “That having considered and approved the nomination of Boms Worgu, from Rivers State, by the South-South Zonal Executive Committee, Worgu is therefore affirmed to be the new deputy national secretary and a member of the National Working Committee of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress.”
Protesters demand NWC dissolution, emergency NEC meeting
Also on Monday, some protesters, under the aegis of Concerned Members of the APC, stormed the party’s national secretariat to demand the sacking of the NWC.
The leader of the group, Mr Okpokwu Ogenyi, urged the APC leaders to save the party from degenerating further.
He said the objective of the APC was being bastardised and the legacy of the President was being destroyed.
He said, “This present National Working Committee has caused us to lose seven states to the opposition. The APC had 24 governors before the present National Working Committee. Today, we 18 governors. Just yesterday, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State left us and joined the opposition Peoples Democratic Party. Are we making progress or going backward?
“Just as the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is killing corruption before corruption kills Nigeria, as a party, we must do away with the present National Working Committee before it kills the party completely, the time is now!
Buhari assures APC governors of imminent end to party crises
Meanwhile, the President on Monday assured governors elected on the platform of the APC that all the crises rocking the ruling party would soon be resolved.
The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Atiku Bagudu, disclosed this to State House correspondents shortly after leading two of his colleagues to a meeting with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He was joined at the meeting and the press briefing that followed by the Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong; and his Jigawa State counterpart, Abubakar Badaru.
Bagudu, who is the Kebbi State governor, said after listening to them attentively, Buhari assured them that all issues causing internal rancour within the party would be sorted out soon.
The governor said, “The reason for our visit is to discuss with the President, as our party leader and as the leader that millions of Nigerians trust, to discuss party issues and the position of the progressive governors to support all steps to unify and bring about peaceful resolution in our party, the All Progressives Congress.
“Mr President listened attentively and discussed with us as a father, as a party leader and he gave us all the assurances we needed to know that resolution of contentious issues will soon be arrived at.”
While responding to a question on the removal and replacement of the party’s deputy national secretary and the protest held at the headquarters of the party earlier in the day, Bagudu said because the party believed in dialogue, contentious issues would always arise.
The governor said there was nothing wrong in members expressing their views on party matters.
He said all the views so expressed would be accommodated by the time decisions would be taken.
“Young people expressing their views by demonstrating; and members of the party challenging court processes only show that the people are free to express their views and dissent is not to be suppressed.”
On the calls for a meeting of the party’s NEC, Bagudu agreed that organs of the party needed to meet.
He said although the President was the party’s leader, he allowed party organs to do and decide what should be done.
No rifts among APC governors, says DG
Also, the Director General of the APC governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukeman, said governors elected on the platform of the APC were united in the quest for a solution to the crises.
According to him, there is no truth in speculations that the governors are sharply divided. He said this in a statement he signed in Abuja, on Monday.
He stated, “In the context of the current challenges facing the party leadership, progressive governors are all working for the quick resolutions of the crisis.
“Although approaches and perspectives of each progressive governor may vary, they have been able to debate and reach a consensus on the problems affecting the party as contained in the resolutions of the emergency teleconference meeting of Saturday, June 13, 2020.
“The resolutions, which were made public include collectively working to ensure strengthening of a fair and democratic internal party mechanism for the selection of party candidates in all elections.”
PUNCH
