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APC crisis: Buhari won’t sacrifice due process for expediency, says Bagudu

The Governor of Kebbi State and the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari will never sacrifice due process for expediency in resolution of the crisis rocking the ruling party. Reacting to the news of threats from some members of the sacked National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek redress in court over the President’s recognition of the Victor Giadom’s faction, the governor said Buhari’s decision was legal.

Bagudu, who led some of his colleagues on a ‘thank you’ visit to the President yesterday, said the President is very clear that he received due legal advice on the matter while noting that Buhari will not do anything which the constitutional of the party does not allow.

“Remember, before the 2019 primaries, Mr President demonstrated to everyone in this country that he will never sacrifice due process for expediency. Even when it was convenient to extend tenure of the then executive so that we don’t have a convention and primary at the same time, Mr President said no, no matter how tough it is, we are going to do the correct legal thing. “Our country is more food secured, the economy, though challenged by the Coronavirus pandemic and recovering from the 2016 recession, is doing better than most countries in similar situation. Accountability has increased tremendously, we are hearing of security gains on daily basis in all parts of the country and those are what Mr President campaigned upon and Nigeria has one of the most robust responses to the Coronavirus pandemic, all because of his thoughtful imaginative and patriotic leadership.

Oyegun, Onilu, charge, seek support for the Committee

This is coming as a former National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun, charged members of the caretaker committee of the party to heal the wounds caused by the dissolved NWC. Oyegun, who spoke via a telephone call, said the Buniled 13 member committee should also restore the party to the party of free, fair and credible primaries. He argued that the problem that the former NWC had was imposition of candidates for elections. According to him, in addition to the terms of reference given to them by the National Executive Committee (NEC) they should make sure that they search for personalities that have the qualities to lead the party. In the same vein, the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu has called on party members to give their support to the Committee. Onilu, in his statement admitted that the party was on the wrong path. “Like the President said, the party was ominously hanging on a cliff and as expected, something had to give way because the APC could not have continued along that obvious path of destruction.” Oyegun, in his speech on his expectations of the committee, said,”they have been inaugurated and they have been given their terms of reference to prepare for convention. This is a period of healing now. They should stand their grounds, try to heal many, many wounds that have been inflicted on the party and go back to free and fair elections–whatever level this would occur during their period. Give people free, fair and credible elections, there is nothing like it. “During out time, how many cases went to court, we didn’t have all these kind of problems. That is the basic thing, they should try to heal the wounds and at the same time, the difficult task is scouting for the quality of personalities that have the quality to lead the party.” Onilu, who also believe that only a unified party can assist the government on dividends of democracy, said “Buhari along with the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party, the APC on Thursday dissolved the Party’s National Working Committee (NWC). “I have reflected on the events of the past few days and the outcome of Thursday’s NEC meeting and as a party man, I declare my support for the actions taken by Mr. President. l therefore call on every member to rally round the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee.”

Buhari violates oath of office – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has however accused Buhari of violating his oath of office by allowing the NEC meeting of the APC to hold in the Federal Executive Council (FEC) Chambers. The party is also demanding the resignation of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, for abuse of office. PDP in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that President Buhari’s use of public facilities for APC NEC meeting was a desecration of the sanctity of the seat of power and national values.

According to the party, never in the history of the nation has governance been so devalued to the extent of using the hallowed chamber of the highest executive body in the country, where highlevel executive decisions are taken, for a political meeting. “This shameful development is a further manifestation of the level of impunity, recklessness, disrespect for rules and disdain for our laws by the APC administration, whose latest action exposes a move towards instituting the art of running processes and programmes through illegality, illicitness, illegitimate and unlawful means driven by crude force and naked power. “Furthermore, it is an indefensible double standard for President Buhari, whose administration has been hounding and prosecuting innocent Nigerians for allegedly using public resources for activities of their political parties, to use the resources and facilities of the FEC chamber for his party’s NEC meeting,” PDP stated.

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