Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will later today hold a crucial meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari over the lingering crisis in tbe party. Pointedly, the governors would be asking the President as the National Leader of the party to take a stand and save the ruling party from cruising into self destruction.
The Governor of Nasarawa State Engineer Abdullahi Sule made this known earlier today while fielding question on the Sunrise Today programme, on Channels TV.
He said all the governors of the APC would be meeting this morning and the platform will afford all of them to look each other in the eye and address all the challenges brewing in the party. He said though the party’s National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole is having a running battle with the Governor of Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, governors must work to ensure that this rumpus is not allowed to engulf the whole party.
He said he has resisted attempts to join any of the caucuses that has been meeting over the rumpus, but expressed the confidence that the governors would be able to address the concerns of all aggrieved elements and forge unity among themselves at the end of the meetong.
“I have no doubt that we would be able to address the grievances of all the parties involved in this crisis, our desire is that we would avoid fragmenting the party and we hope that after our meeting we would go to our leader and president to give him our feedback and hopefully it would be positive,” Gov. Sule said.
The Governor said he has heard several people say all the grievances were all geared towards 2023, but counseled caution especially as some of them who are new in the governors’ forum have just spent their first year in office and would not be distracted from doing their best to improve on what they met on ground.
Sule’s position was on the heels of all night long meeting on Sunday by some pro-Oshiomhole governors in the APC to strategise on how to prevent the anti Oshiomhole elements within the forum from having the upper hand and oush aside the National Chairman of the party when they have the National Executive Council meeting of the party on Tuesday.
The governors met in Abuja to strategise on how to counter those pushing for his sack.
The Abuja meeting was held at the Kano State Lodge in Abuja.
A source at the meeting said it was to articulate how to counter the anti-Oshiomhole group at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled to hold tomorrow.
At the meeting were Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Umar Ganduje (Kano), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), among others.
Also on Sunday, some APC leading members passed a vote of confidence in Oshiomhole.
They took the position during an interactive session in Abuja.
At the session were Minister of State, Budget and National Planning Prince Clem Agba; former Minister of Works Chris Ogiemwonyi; House of Representatives Deputy Leader Peter Akpatason, House member Prof. Julius Ihonvbere and a former member, Abdul Oroh.
Others are non-National Working Committee members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) Chief Nelson Alapa, and Zonal Women Leader, North Central Hajia Hassana Abdullahi.
The rest at the meeting are Edo State APC Chairman Col. David Imuse (rtd), Abubakar Momoh, Comrade Tony Kabaka and Secretary Buhari Campaign Council Dr Ibrahim Dauda.
Akpatason described Oshiomhole as one of the greatest gifts to the country.
“He is a no-nonesense mand and so I am not surprised that he has enemies here and there, and especially as we have individuals who for theior selfish reasons would want to pull down an organization the moment the leader is not doing their bidding,” he said.
Ogiemwonyi said Oshiomhole’s antagonists were those not comfortable with his high standards.
“Those who are backstabbing him today were people he helped, including governors. The problem is that once you are doing the right thing, you will step on toes. Comrade oshiomhole is a victim of doing the right thing.
“What is happening today is about 2023. Oshiomhole is trying to build the party to make it more attractive for people but some are not happy”, Ogiemwonyi said.
Alapa faulted tomorrow’s emergency NEC saying the law was not followed in convening it.
Conveners of the session, Mr Blessing Agbomhere said “we are here to intereact and provide solutions. We want to make our contributions to the unity and progress of our party because wee are concerned about the issues in the party.”