APC, a party in search of peace

APC, a party in search of peace




As the national assembly set to resume from its break this week, the All Progressive Congress, APC, which has been ridden in crisis over the recent election of the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, seems to be searching for peace frantically.

However as the effort to reconcile the Senator Ahmed Lawan Group popularly called the Unity Group and the Senator Bukola Saraki’s Like Minds Group is ongoing , the disagreement over the election of   other principal officers may be a clog in the wheel of ensuring long lasting peace in the party.

The Senate will still elect the Senate Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and the Deputy Chief Whip and the party is working assiduously to avoid what happened on June 9 , 2015 when the party’s candidates lost in the election of speaker and Senate President .

Several efforts have been on to ensure that the APC remain united after it was polarized by the election of Dr Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekeremadu.

The party immediately after the election through a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said the party would not recognize Saraki and Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

In the heat of the crisis, there were calls for even the removal of Odigie-Oyegun as the chairman of the party, while Lai Mohammed was criticized for the statement he issued after the election by the people of Kwara State where he and Saraki comes from .

But after realizing that the crisis may worked against the party , the party chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said the party has recognized Saraki and Dogara as the Senate President and Speaker of the House .

That was the beginning of the consolidation of efforts to ensure unity within the party.

Odigie- Oyegun, has penultimate Friday assured that the party is working around the clock to resolve the crisis that has rocked it in recent times, to pave the way for the party to fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians.

”The party has reached out to all interested parties, and when the National Assembly resumes next week, Nigerians will see one harmonious, happy APC family,” Chief Oyegun said in a statement he issued in Abuja .

”We owe it to our party, our teeming members and supporters and indeed all Nigerians who reposed so much confidence in us by voting us into office to quickly put the unfortunate incidents of the recent past behind us and forge ahead,” he said.

Many believe that the change of tune by the party and Oyegun may be as a result of intervention by the President, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari who was said to have called for unity within the party.

Buhari was said to have held a meeting with Oyegun, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the party’s governors where he urged them to use their influence to reconcile the aggrieved parties.

In the meantime, the APC Chairman has also risen to the defence of Lai Mohammed, who is being vilified in his home state of Kwara for signing the statement conveying the party’s reaction to the election of the National Assembly leadership on June 9th.

According to   him, the criticism against Alhaji Lai Mohammed was unwarranted saying the statement was issued with the knowledge and consent of the party, and that it would be wrong for anyone to make him a sacrificial lamb for carrying out his party responsibilities.

”The party is aware that its National Publicity Secretary has been grossly misunderstood by virtually everyone, especially in his state, just because he carried out his duty by signing the said statement by the party.

”At a personal risk and putting the party’s interest above his own, he issued that statement which reflected the position of the party at that particular time. The party is solidly behind him, and it will be wrong for anyone to interpret the statement as representing his personal opinion,” the APC Chairman said.

As part of the reconciliation effort, the Chairmen of the State chapters of the APC have thrown their weight behind President Mohammadu Buhari and Oyegun for accepting  the outcome of the national assembly leadership election.

Rising from a meeting convened under the auspices of the Forum of APC state chairmen with Oyegun Wednesday in Abuja, the Chairmen said that despite the “disappointments”, they were happy that the APC’s leaders accepted the outcome of the election that brought Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

In a communiqué they issued and which was signed by the chairman of the Kano state APC and Acting Chairman of the Forum, Umar Mohammed at the end of their meeting which bordered on the review of the 2015 general elections, the chairmen said “We totally aligned ourselves with the President’s position regarding the leadership of the National Assembly”.

Also a second term senator from Lagos State, Senator Gbenga Asafa has begged APC senators to unite .

Ashafa, in a statement last Thursday urged the two groups to merge so that the APC could forge ahead. He said if the APC remained disunited; the party would not be able to deliver on its promise of change.

He said, “We have to realise that the hopes of Nigerians are high. The new government has amassed a lot of political capital having been elected as a result of the massive goodwill for our various candidates in the elections and the stark disenchantment with the previous administration.

“As a result, the goodwill of Nigerians must not be taken for granted. So I make this call for one Nigeria and it starts with us – one Senate, united for the progress of our various constituents and translating change into policies and laws that will, in turn, yield tangible and beneficial results for everyone.”

Ashafa urged all party members with various leanings to set aside their personal ambitions for now, noting that “whilst the party’s decision is binding on us all, we must see the bigger picture which is a progressive and united Nigeria.”

Also the League of Patriots, LOP has cautioned the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Timi Frank over his call for the resignation of the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, as a result of the crisis arising from the election in the National Assembly.

In a statement jointly signed by Messrs Orobosa Omo-Ojo and Osa Director, Convener and President of the group respectively, the LOP said Frank’s tirade against Odigie-Oyegun is suicidal.

According to the statement, “the attack on Chief Odigie-Oyegun is simply unwarranted, considering the fact that the APC is still weighing all options relating to the outcome of the elections of principal officers in the National Assembly – to ensure the unity of the party.

“For the avoidance of doubt, we wish to put on record the selfless contributions made by Chief Odigie-Oyegun in the long-drawn struggle by the Progressives in Nigeria. In 1992, while in the Social Democratic Party (SDP), His Excellency abandoned his comfort zone to join others in exile to actualize June 12, 1993 presidential mandate Nigerians gave to Chief Moshood Abiola of blessed memory”.

It noted that unlike the average Nigerian politician, the APC National Chairman cannot be accused of pursuing a personal agenda in the outcome of the election of National Assembly’s principal officers. The group said, “his role was informed by the dictates of his office which requires him to defend the corporate interest of the party at all times – which he did. As it turned out, this didn’t preclude the individual interest of Senators and House of Representatives members who were at liberty to exercise their franchise as it turned out.”

The group urged Frank and others who might still resent Chief Odigie-Oyegun and members of the National Working Committee (NWC) to sheathe their swords in the overall interest of the party. It added that “what has happened should be seen as incubating process that can only lead to a stronger, vibrant legislature for which the APC will be credited.”

 




Source: APC VS PDP NIGERIA NEWS

APC, a party in search of peace