Tinubu, Okorocha, Shehu Sani Back Buhari On Oyegun’s Tenure Elongation Crisis

National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Imo State Governor and Chairman of APC Progressive Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha, and Senator Shehu Sani have thrown their weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration that extension of tenure of Chief Oyegun-led Exco of the party was illegal.

According to Okorocha, with his pronouncement, Buhari has enriched the nation’s democracy and  Constitution of the party.

While commending the president for showing astute leadership in the party when it is most needed, he also lauded Chief Oyegun-led EXCO for leading it to its present state and noted that the political history of the nation would be fair to them when it would be written.

In his reaction, which was contained in a statement by his media office, Tinubu said with the pronouncement, President Buhari has displayed his commitment to the principles of internal democracy and the rule of law.

“The president has spoken. Today is a good day for those who cherish democracy and legality.  His action will also serve to strengthen the party by allowing party members, including present incumbents, to seek to contribute to the party by vying for executive offices as they see fit.

“His action will go far in advancing the process of internal reconciliation that is now underway. It is a time for the party to move forward and begin to plan and organise the needed congresses according to the existing timetables. After all, a party bearing the name All Progressives Congress should be the last party to resist holding congresses in which all its people have a fair say and fair chance to aspire to any position in the party for which they are qualified to hold.”

Also, Senator Sani, who represents Kaduna Central in the National Assembly applauded Buhari’s action.

Speaking during a television programme, he said: “Buhari did the right thing at the right time and he is saving the party. The party has been in crisis since we took over and the existing leadership has been unable to bring solutions.

“The extension was an attempt by the party to fly over the party’s problems and those who are left in ruins are those who wanted the extension.

“The party must resolve its differences and see how it can solve the problem. It is better to arrive our destination on a wheelchair than arrive dead.”

But the National Chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP), Chekwas Okorie said Buhari’s action would cause the party to implode.

“Two things are at play here; the imminent implosion in the APC has long being predicted and the policy summersault of the administration with regards to the party is a reflection of a confused party leadership that will end up imploding. The president said he was advised by his Attorney General to take that decision but I think that he is being intelligent by half, because what he has done is to pander to the whims and caprices of some in the South West and he thinks that it is politically expedient not to lose the support of some in Lagos who he believes holds the ace with regards to the vote that would enable the party retain its victory in 2019.

“What has happened now is that he has also made the state chairmen who took the decision to elongate the tenure look ordinary. It means that as far as Buhari is concerned, if you weigh them on the scale with those in Lagos, the latter would weigh more. What it also means is that the National Working Committee of the party should start counting their days and that would come with dissatisfaction and dissent within the ranks of the party. Whichever way you look at it, Buhari has demonstrated lack of political savvy. He should have let the status quo remain and then they would use party influence to get any aggrieved person to accept the party’s decision”, Okorie said.

Even though he is not concerned about how the party runs its affairs, the spokesperson of Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, said if the president showed dictatorial tendencies  and impunity in how he handles his party, those tendencies would affect the way he governs the country.

“It is their internal party affair but the way it would rub off on the country is to question if he has any powers in their party constitution to demand that the decision to elongate the tenure be reversed? If a man can run his party with impunity, how do you think he would run the  country? Is the Attorney General of the Federation who advised him on the decision or the legal adviser of the party? What concerns him with the legal affairs of the party?

“It is the legal adviser of the APC who can interpret the constitution of the party and it is his job to be advising the president on issues that concern the party. It is an abuse of powers to be taking advice from the Attorney General. It is obvious that he is pandering to some interests but that does not concern us because it is their party affairs,” he said.

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