Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru has countered the claims by his Ekiti State counterpart, Kayode Fayemi that their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) would collapse after the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Fayemi who is the Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum had in an interview with Daily Trust observed that APC may collapse after the exit of President Buhari in 2023.
The former Minister of Mines and Solid Minerals said, “if we are not careful, if we do not institutionalize processes and procedures in the party and make it more inclusive than it is, we will not have a party when President Muhammadu Buhari leaves government. This is because he is the unifying force of our party”.
But speaking with selected journalists in Abuja at the weekend, Governor Badaru disagreed with Fayemi when he emphasized that Buhari is committed to the consolidation of APC even after his exit.
He assured that APC Governors, under the auspices of Progressives Governors Forum were working round the clock to amicably resolve the current leadership crisis rocking the party.
“What I will have to say is that the leadership of APC, Progressives Governors Forum is working day and night to ensure that the issue is resolved and I assure you that Mr. President is also looking at the issue to make sure that the leadership crisis is resolved and it will be resolved in no time. We are working on it and God’s willing it will be over soon.
“On the survival of APC after President Buhari, President Buhari made a commitment to the Governors that he will support us in anyway to make sure that the party survives and waxes stronger even after him”, Badaru disclosed.
This is not the first time a high profile member of the APC would predict its collapse after Buhari’s exit as a former Imo State Governor and current Senator, Rochas Okorocha had late last year said the party might lose its present grip of power in 2023 if nothing was urgently done to reposition its leadership.
Okorocha had noted that, “President Muhammadu Buhari gave character to APC. He brought his integrity to bear on the party. He made the party what it is in the northern part of the country and the masses of the North, who saw him as a true leader, and we all rode on that to achieve that victory, but after the credibility of Buhari into this party, there seems to be no alternative in the same manner that will drive this party to 2023 victory.
“This is why I expressed my concern that if we are not very careful, APC might go with Buhari in 2023, and that will be a very unfortunate situation for the founding fathers of APC. The party needs to show purposeful leadership, show character”.
James Kwen, Abuja
