BREAKING: Buhari In Closed Door Meeting With APC Governors Over Party’s Internal Crisis

President Muhammad Buhari and Governors of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) have entered into a crucial meeting following the internal crisis rocking the party.

The ruling party had been bedevilled by leadership crisis that is threatening to tear it apart.

BIGPEN understands that the governors of the APC platform are currently meeting in the presidential villa, Abuja with President Buhari ostensibly over how the party had drifted apart since its embattled national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole spat with some states.

The meeting comes a day after Senate President Ahmed Lawan, had hinted that the president would lead a push for settlement of the crisis within the next few days.

At the meeting are the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Kebbi state, Atiku Bagudu; Chairman of Northern Governors Forum and Governor of Plateau state, Simon Lalong and Governor of Jigawa state, Abubakar Badaru.

It would be recalled that various section of the party have been calling on President Buhari to convene an emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to resolve its myriad of crises, which has led to the sack of its national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, by the courts.

Advertisement

But acting national chairman of the party, Hilliard Eta, on Sunday insisted that the party would not succumb to the nationwide clamour for it to convene the NEC.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, Eta said, with over 120 members, a NEC meeting would violate the COVID-19 pandemic protocol prohibiting public gatherings: “I do not believe there is anybody afraid or scared of convening NEC meeting. For those who want to build this party, who want this party to outlast this present government, they are such in number that there is no fear of convening NEC meeting.

“What has been militating against constituting NEC meeting in the recent past is, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic that has stopped everybody from gathering more than a certain number of persons.

“As you are all aware, we have over 120 members of NEC and it would amount to breaking the COVID-19 protocol as established by the Nigerian authorities prohibiting gathering of more than 50 people at a time. It will take our breaking that protocol for us to have a NEC meeting. But, if it is possible to have a waiver, so to speak, to be able to have a NEC meeting, we can explore that. There is nobody afraid of having NEC meeting. There is no way the ruling party will voluntarily disobey or break rules it is part of making.”

Regardless of his explanation, the newly formed Integrity Group of the party has insisted that an urgent emergency NEC meeting should be held to resolve the leadership crisis and challenges confronting the party.

Advertisement