The National Working Committee and Governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have met to avert an impending crisis facing the party.
Though the agenda of the meeting was not overtly disclosed, BusinessDay observed that it was not unconnected with the recent blames heaped on the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, for the diminishing fortunes of the party by the Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman.
Lukman had in a letter entitled “APC: Appeal for Reconciliation,” dated August 6, 2019 and addressed to the APC National Chairman, said: “As a loyal party member, I have difficulty reconciling the absence of meetings of superior organs, given all the challenges the party is going through, warranting the suspension of three serving governors (two of them now Senators) and two members of NWC”.
He declared that: “My distant observation is that there is hardly any difference between your approach in managing the party and the way Chief Oyegun had managed it during his tenure. Instead, things have really got worse and painfully, it would appear, you are in denial of this reality”.
Sources at the closed-door meeting revealed that the Governors had demanded proper accountability of materials and other activities of the party under Oshiomhole as the National Chairman.
“The governors want the NWC to account for the monies generated and also explain why some steps were taken contrary to what they believe should have been. The governors were disturbed that several crises have not been resolved under the current NWC while many others are springing up at all levels,” the source said.
Addressing the meeting before it went closed-door, the National Chairman, Oshiomhole said it was part of measures to ensure constant communication between the party it various organs and political officeholders.
While recounting his experience in the saddle, he said, ”it is quite a challenging experience for me. I try to compare myself as a governor and now as chairman of a party, and coming in at the eve of primaries and dealing with fall out of the previous congresses, and then proceeding to conduct elections.”
Also speaking, Chairman of the APC Governors Forum, Atiku Bagudu confirmed that some issues were deliberated upon at the forum’s meeting on Thursday and it was decided that a delegation be sent to the National Chairman.
Appraising the state of the party, Bagudu said, “our party has done well in the two previous elections. It has produced the President, produced the majority of Members of the National Assembly and a number of governors. It had chased away the governing party.
“We are very proud that we have a President, President Muhammadu Buhari who courageously said that we should not sacrifice due process on convenience. That is the most important signature between our party and other parties,” he explained.
