Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and the Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, has dismissed insinuations that the dissolution of the All Progressive Congress APC National Working Committee NWC was targeted at Bola Tinubu.
Bagudu who spoke to State House Correspondents after the virtual National Executive Committee NEC meeting of the APC, stated that all the party members, including Tinubu are on the same page
“You mention the name of one of our leaders, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,a founding father of this party.
“We are all together to rescue this party from all this,nobody is happy with the situation under which the party is now operating because we are in court for various problems and crisis , so this decision was taken by NEC to address some of this issues .. so nobody is targeted and it is against nobody .
“Asiwaju is one of the leaders of this party and a founding father of the party” he said
The meeting was attended by the party leaders including President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo ,Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker , Deputy speaker, Governors from the different APC states .
The National Executive Council meeting of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), dissolved the National Working Committee NWC of the All Progressive Congress APC under the suspended Chairman, Adams Oshiomhle.
The National Executive Council NEC meeting called by Acting National Chairman of the party, Victor Giadom has also rectified the emergence of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu as the winner of the party primary election in Edo State.
Ize-Iyamu won the party’s primary after polling 27, 838 votes to defeat his rivals, Pius Odubu who garnered 3,776 votes and Osaro Obaze who got 2,724 votes respectively.
The NEC also said all litigations in the court across the country will be withdrawn.
The emergency NEC meeting adopted all the recommendations made by President Muhammadu Buhari, at thr virtual NEC meeting and appointed the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Buni, as Caretaker National Chairman, while John Akpanudoede was designated Caretaker National Secretary.
President Muhammadu Buhari in his speech, advised members of the governing party, All Progressives Congress (APC), to withdraw all pending litigations against one another, and settle for internal conciliation, warning that the mutating disagreements could lead to self-destruction, with dire consequences.
President Buhari said the gains of the party could be reversed as conflicts overshadow the primary objective of service to the people, urging members to refocus on the larger picture and place more emphasis on uniting the party.
“Fellow party members, this is a very crucial moment in the life of our party and it is with a deep sense of concern that I stand before you today to speak as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who has been elected on the platform of our great party – the All Progressives Congress.
“The issues currently confronting our party at this time are such that should worry every party member. At the moment, our great party is faced with internal wrangling; there are on-going litigations amongst some party members and we cannot clearly ascertain the status of certain National Working Committee (NWC) members.’’
The President expressed worry over the shifting loyalty within the party and inconsistency in leadership, which had opened the governing party to mockery.
“There are also other associated disputes as to the legitimacy or otherwise of holders of certain National Offices of the Party. The Party is also contending with Judicial claims and counter-claims, Orders and Counter-Orders and indeed Judgments and Counter-Judgments that are predominantly at cross-purposes.
“Confronted with these issues, it is obvious that the fortunes of the party are currently in jeopardy, administration of our party is becoming impossible and there is consequently an urgent need for intervention to immediately arrest further drifts and internal wrangling which may lead to total disintegration.
“What we see clearly emerging, is that we are beginning to self-destruct. This, my dear party members, is not just regrettable but utterly gut wrenching.’’
President Buhari proposed that:
“The meeting may adopt the developed resolution as contained in the agenda and pass resolutions including: approving the immediate discontinuation of all pending litigations involving the party and its members; ratifying the primary election conducted in Edo State; dissolving the current National Working Committee, and appointing caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning committee for the party.’’
The President also reiterated the need to discontinue all litigations involving members of the party, which were connected to issues of the party, adding: “The directive had been issued before, unfortunately some members failed to heed the directive. Thus, at this time, it must be made a Resolution of the Party which must be effectively enforced with dire consequences for members who choose to ignore the directive.’’
The President said in order to return to the “winning ways’’, the APC must maintain cohesion by closing its ranks.
“We must be alive to the time and the task that is before us. As we all know, we are immediately confronted with the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo States. Therefore, this is the time to get our acts together.’’
