Governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) on Monday met with President Muhammaed Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, calling for the convocation of an emergency meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to discuss all pending issues and the crisis rocking the party.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, told journalists that President Buhari assured the Governors that the crisis rocking the party will be resolved soon.
Bagudu, in the company of Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) States, said they discussed party issues and their position to support peaceful resolution of the crisis in the ruling party with the President.
Saying that the President listened “attentively,” Bagudu noted that being a democrat, refused to use his standing to direct events even though he is a leader of the party.
According to him, “the reason for our visit is to discuss with him as our party leader, to discuss party issues and the position of the Progressive Governors to support all steps to unify and bring about peaceful resolution in our party. Mr. President listened attentively and discussed with us as a father, as a party leader and he gave us all the assurance we needed to know that resolution of contentious issues will soon be arrived at.”
Asked why it is difficult for the party to summon a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to resolve the crisis, the APC Governors Forum Chairman said: “At all times, Mr. President has shown that he is a democrat. He is not running the party. Yes, he is the party leader. He allows party organs to do and decide what should be done. He is very hesitant to use his standing, even as party leader, talk less of his authority as Mr. President of the country to direct things.
“But at all times, he has been alive to the issue and like I said earlier, I believe with the encouragement he gave us this morning, with the level of details he has about all what is happening and the number of people he has listened to and heard. I believe that whatever needs to be done including the possibility of calling any of the organs of the party that is necessary for the resolution of lingering issues will be done immediately.
“Let me again say that the party is never a perfect assembly. There will always be issues and that is why we talk, but yes certainly, organs of the party needs to meet and Mr. President without directing is always supporting the necessity of party organs meeting appropriately.”
