MULTIPLE crises within the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the management of the party’s success, the presentation of list of members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), problem in the Senate among others have forced the national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun to summon a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC), The Sun reports..
According to the newspaper, the meeting holds Monday (today), before President Muhammadu Buhari forwards his ministerial nominees list to the Senate for screening and confirmation.
The list is expected to hit the Senate either on Tuesday or Wednesday as President Buhari had made a widely publicised promised to sent the list to the Senate on or before the end of September.
According to the report, a top member of the NWC told select newsmen at the weekend that there are now several factions in the party. The first set is angry over ministerial which has now pitched some powerful forces in the party against President Buhari. Buhari was accused of not consulting widely within the party before drawing the list.
It further reports:
If the NWC meeting holds, top on the agenda will be the seeming power rift between Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and a North west governor. Matters between the duo reportedly came to a head during a meeting when the Vice President allegedly walked out owing to an uncomplimentary remark on his person by the governor.
Also on the agenda is the perceived feud between the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
A National Assembly source disclosed that the matter “is a source of worry for us because they are leaders and if the matter is not contained now, it can tear the party apart.”
Another trouble-shooting for the party’s NWC will be to restore cordial relationship between Tinubu and Oyegun, which became fractured after the last NWC meeting.
Also, the party may have to wade into the sour relationship between Kaduna Governor Ahmed el-Rufai and Senator Shehu Sani. “APC cannot keep quiet on the face-off between the governor and Senator Sani,” the party source said.
Another worry for the NWC is the media war between the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole and former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva over the botched primary to pick the party’s candidate for the December 5 governorship poll in the state.
Another crisis rocking the party is the power rift between a governor from the South west and a leader of the party in the same zone over who should be the minister representing the zone in the Federal Executive Council (FEC). In the same zone, there is another power rift between a former governor and his successor.
APC source noted that how the party settles the power rifts would determine its survival ahead of the 2019 polls.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed dismissed reports of factions in the party. “It’s not true that there are factions in our party,” he said.
He equally dismissed perceived power rift between the Vice President and a North West governor who is in his first term. Mohammed reiterated that both had never met except during the inauguration of the National Economic Council (NEC). “Where is the fight coming from? It’s absolute nonsense. Talk of a rift is absolute rubbish,” he declared
