The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has summoned an emergency meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for Monday (today) to address multiple crises rocking the party.
Top among the issues to be discussed in the meeting are the Bayelsa governorship primary crisis, ministerial list, power rift between the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and Kaduna state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as well as the current travails of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki. El-Rufai is perceived by some people as the “unofficial vice president,” said our sources.
The crises within the APC it was gathered forced the national chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun to summon the emergency meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC), today in Abuja.
The meeting is expected to hold before President Muhammadu Buhari submits his list of the ministerial nominees to the Senate tomorrow or next.
It was gathered from sources within the APC camp that the crisis within the party, especially over the management of the party’s success at the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly and the April 11 governorship elections, are causing members of the party sleepless nights, and affecting the smooth running of governance with Nigerians at the receiving ends.
Speaking with journalists yesterday, a top member of the party’s NWC noted that apart from the crisis, the meeting will also dwell on the ministerial list that has put the party against President Buhari, who seems not to be interested in consulting officials of the party in the appointment of the members of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, and the power rift between the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former governor of Osun State, Bisi Akande and the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu.
According to the NWC member, the crisis between the chieftains of APC has stalled the inauguration of the party’s Board of Trustees, BoT, as well as holding of the National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting.
Similarly, the power tussle between the Vice President Osinbajo and Governor el-rufai, who is perceived as the ‘unofficial vice president’, is expected to be part of the meeting’s agenda.
It was gathered that El-Rufai made an uncomplimentary remark on the Vice President, to which Osinbajo protested and eventually walked out on President Buhari at the said meeting.
Before he left the meeting, Osinbajo reportedly told Buhari that “I am an elected Vice President and would not sit down here and allow a governor to insult me.”
On the Senate president’s travails, the source which pointed accusing finger at Tinubu queried: “Why must there be preferential treatment and separate rules, whereas, Tinubu was acquitted for non compliance with section 3 (D), the chairman of the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) is insisting on Dr. Abubakar Saraki standing trial for an issue that the former Lagos state governor was acquitted and the suit struck out.”
Another crisis that the APC’s NWC is billed to discuss is the face-off between Oyegun and Tinubu. It was gathered that since the botched attempt by Tinubu to remove Oyegun, relationship between the two has turned sour.
Also listed for discussion is the Bayelsa primary which the party cancelled, even though Timipre Sylva still holds on to victory.
Another crisis rocking the party also centres around the choice of Wale Edun , a former commissioner in Lagos state, whom Tinubu allegedly picked as a ministerial nominee from Ogun state.
But on the contrary, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun, are said to be pushing for former national auditor of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Chief Bode Mustapha as their nominee.
“It seems we have a monster in our hands and if not properly handled, could spell doom for us. The crisis between Tinubu and former governor, Raji Fashola, is one of the issues that we are going to handle before darkness comes. It is true that Nigerians voted for APC overwhelmingly, but we must manage this success well before the power struggle therein consumes us.
“There is also the power rift between Governor Ambode and Fashola. Washing their dirty linens in public will not help good governance in the state that is traditionally seen as a progressives state since 1999. Something must be done and this is why the Monday’s NWC is crucial to us. To win election is one thing and to settle down to good governance is another,” concluded our sources.