SAN FRANCISCO, April 04, (THEWILL) –Â President Muhammad Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors met again on Wednesday over the crisis rocking the party over the fate of the John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee party.
President Buhari had at the party’s National Executive Committee’s meeting last week declared as illegal, a proposal for the extension of the tenure of the Oyegun-led NWC of the party.
The meeting earlier held on Tuesday had ended in deadlock.
The governors, however, reached a compromise with President Buhari at the meeting which held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
They have agreed with the President that the party’s constitution should be respected in electing a new National Working Committee of the party.
The governors, however, noted that Oyegun and his NWC could seek reelection at a convention if they so desired.
The chairman of the forum, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the meeting with the president.
“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.
“Let me 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 operatives to stop spreading rumors of crisis in APC. There is no single crisis in APC.
“The issue was one of people who believe that we did not have enough time to organize a party congress and run election. Some people felt that it was a good idea, but the most important thing is that if we do that, we will be contravening both our party constitution and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. That is the major issue that we have that they call crisis. We do not have crisis
“This morning, we met with Mr. President to fine-tune issues, one regarding the congress and we have resolved that the congresses at all levels and the chairman of the elongation committee, is also fine-tuning the arrangement in the same line. To this effect, the convention committee will be set out, it will be announced.”
On his part, Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari said: “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. So, therefore, we collectively agreed that we will have congresses at all levels – local, state and national.”
