APC Crisis: Tinubu, Atiku Absent From NEC Meeting 

• NEC Passes Vote Of Confidence On Odigie-Oyegun
• Party Mandates Govs To Meet Saraki, Dogara Over NASS Crisis 

THE crisis rocking the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) lingered yesterday as key leaders of the party, including Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu, did not attend the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party.

Tinubu’s close allies, who were conspicuously absent at the forum attended by the Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara, governors and chieftains of the party from across the country, were the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at another function; Governors Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Abiola Ajimobi (oyo); as well as the founding national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.

Former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, was also not there, as he was said to be abroad. The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who briefed journalists at the end of the NEC meeting which lasted about two hours, said he could not hazard a guess as to why Tinubu, who had been a prominent figure in all activities of the party before yesterday’s meeting, avoided the parley.

Mohammed, who was apparently taken off guard when asked why Tinubu was not on ground, however said it could be due to the fact that he is not a member of the NEC or the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party. He said: “You see, if you look at the constitution of our party, neither of them are members of the exco of our party. I think it is at the discretion of NEC or NWC to invite them and I think it is not out of respect for his position.

But why he is not here, honestly, I don’t want to fathom a reason why he is not here.”   Tinubu’s bloc of the APC which is of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), is believed not to be happy with the way and manner the party leadership tolerated Saraki and Dogara who upstaged the party’s preferred candidates, Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, respectively.

Mohammed disclosed that governors of the APC were yesterday mandated to sit down yesterday with both Saraki and Dogara to resolve the lingering crisis in the party over leadership of the National Assembly.

Shedding more light on the outcome of the parley, he said the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari opted to personally attend the NEC meeting at the national secretariat of the party speaks volumes of the need for all members to respect the superiority of the party.

“The national legal adviser sought the approval of NEC as to certain the category of members who should be members of the BoT (Board of Trustees) and the motion was moved and it was carried, after which the NEC and the governors passed a vote of confidence on the leadership of the party.

“Also important is the fact that NEC has provided an enabling environment to look into ways of resolving the National Assembly logjam, and I know that today (yesterday), the 22 governors who are in town would be meeting with both the speaker and the senate president in a further attempt to find a lasting solution to the lingering logjam in the National Assembly.

“But it is important to tell you that everybody in the party is united on two issues: party supremacy and that this government must work, deliver its campaign promises and bring about a change the people of Nigeria want,” Mohammed said.

In his opening remarks, President Buhari who was apparently concerned over the absence of Tinubu and his allies, maintained that it behoves all members, irrespective of their standing, to endeavour to attend key functions of the party, such as the NEC and BoT at all times.

Reminiscing on how members of the opposition parties, the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), ACN and a faction of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) coalesced to form the APC, he urged members of the party to put aside their personal interests and work for the success of the party.

Congratulating chieftains on the success of the party at the polls, Buhari, who thanked God for making the APC’s victory possible, reiterated the need to respect the constitution and that of the APC. Buhari particularly applauded the performance of the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led leadership of the party, and urged them to continue to work together and accept the superiority of the party at all times.

Eulogising Akande for his pivotal role in the formation of the APC, the President urged members to reflect on the sacrifices they made and work towards the success of the APC-led administration.

“Let us not throw this success to the wind. Let us, as members of the APC, no matter our personal differences, get together and meet the mandate given to us by this country.

“This is my personal appeal. In the name of God, no matter your personal interests and your ambition, please keep it to your heart and in your pocket, let APC work and let the system work and let us have a government that will earn the respect of our constituencies.

“I cannot confine myself to the cage or Sambisa Forest and refuse to participate in meetings of NEC and eventually BoT, because I respect the superiority of the party,” Buhari said. Buhari, decked in a white agbada with a cap to match, arrived the party’s secretariat at about 11 am and was warmly received by Odigie-Oyegun, Saraki and Dogara.