Buhari and Oyegun at the APC NEC meeting
The rank of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is now sharply divided along two major camps with one camp backing the Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun while the other camp which has a clear majority is standing with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Crack within the party had been hidden but it manifested in February when the Oyegun Exco by sleight of hand got its tenure elongated. This was said to have angered Tinubu who inside sources said still controls in a big way the lever of power within the APC.
However, the recent NEC meeting gave edge to the camp of the Asiwaju when President Muhammadu Buhari, citing legality and morality, joined forces with Tinubu to condemn the tenure extension. Buhari’s sudden alliance with Tinubu was said to be connected with 2019 election and the quest of the incumbent President to seek re-election.
“Apart from the legal angle, it was just common sense that the President takes side with Tinubu. Buhari needs him to win South West and for his political sagacity during the 2019 election. Going with Oyegun will not add much value to his tally of votes from the south”, an APC stalwart conversant with the various undercurrents within the party told our reporter.
The coffin was finally nailed for the Oyegun camp on Wednesday when Governors of the All Progressives Congress dismissed media reports that there was disagreement between them and President Muhammadu Buhari over tenure elongation for the APC national and state executives.
Gov. Abdul-aziz Yari of Zamfara stated this when he briefed State House correspondents alongside Gov. Rochas Okorocha of Imo on the outcome of the meeting between the APC governors and the president in Abuja, on Tuesday.
He said that all the 24 governors of the APC were on the same page with President Buhari over the issue of the national leadership of the party.
“We have seen so many captions that there is disagreement between the governors over the issue of our party Chairman or about the party leadership.
“No, we had a meeting with Mr. President on Tuesday, and we extended the meeting tonight and we followed up with consultations with the President now.
“We consulted and all the 24 governors of the APC are in the same page with Mr President that we are going to respect our party constitution; we are going to respect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’’
According to Yari, the governors have collectively agreed that there should be congresses at local, state and national levels.
He revealed that the committee set up by the National Secretariat of the party headed by Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau would be presenting its report later today.
`The governors are also meeting with the working committee today so that we come up with convention committee names as well as a timetable for the election.’’
“So, there is no deadlock in our meeting, we have progressed and very soon you will have the names of the convention committee members; as well as the timetable.’’
Gov. Okorocha on his part said, “I just want to let you know that there is no crisis in the APC at all and we want to use this opportunity to advise the media to stop spreading rumours of crisis in APC. There is no single crisis in APC.’’
“But let me correct one impression, the issue of congress and convention does not mean that the previous people who have served the party have done badly.
“And it does not mean that they cannot come back or that they cannot re-contest, that is not it.
“We are simply saying that their tenure has ended and those who wish to re-contest can re-contest and can be elected into our party structure.
“So, we are all one as family and we are set to go for 2019 elections in victory.’’
