APC leadership crises: Solution in sight — Progressive Governors

By TIMOTHY CHOJI, Abuja

Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Atiku Bagudu, says all contentious issues surrounding the leadership crisis confronting Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) would soon be resolved.

Atiku Bagudu, who is also the Governor of Kebbi State, disclosed this while speaking to State House Correspondents after they met with the Nigerian leader on Monday.

He said the Governors were in the State House to share with the President their position on how to resolve the matter threatening smooth operations of the APC.

According to Bagudu, “Today, Monday 22/06/2020, my brothers the Governor of Plateau State Simon Lalong and the Governor of Jigawa State Abubakar Badaru and myself visited President Muhammadu Buhari as our party leader, as the leader that millions of Nigerian trust, to discuss party issues and the position of the Progressive Governors to support all steps to unify and bring about a peaceful resolution in our party the All Progressives Congress.

“The President listened to us attentively and discussed with us as a father, as a party leader and gave us all the assurance needed to know that resolution of contentious issues will soon be arrived at.”

Answering a question on why the President has been quiet while the crisis continues, Bagudu said the Nigerian leader is a democrat that allows all arms of the party to function according to the provisions of the party’s constitution.

“At all times the President has shown that he is a democrat. He is not running the party; yes, he is the party leader but he allows the party’s 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 President of the country to direct things.

“At all times he has been alive to the issues and like I said earlier, I believe with the encouragement he gave us this morning with the level of details he has about all that is happening and the number of people he has listened to, I believe whatever needs to be done including the possibility calling any organ of the party that is necessary for the resolution of the lingering issues, will be done immediately,” he said.

The Kebbi State Governor noted that in any political assembly, there are bound to be recurring issues because a political party is never a perfect assembly.

He agreed that it was necessary for the National Executive Committee of the party to meet as part of steps towards resolving the crisis. (VON)