APC Crisis: Ego between serving, former governors tearing party apart — Adamu
•As Buhari warns against imposing unpopular candidates
• Fixed presidential ticket for 100million naira
‘Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
Daily Courier – National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has accused some serving and past governors of working unwittingly to rock the boat of the party.
Adamu disclosed this in his opening address at the 11th National Executive Committee NEC meeting of the APC holding at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja.
The meeting was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and other critical stakeholders who are members of the NEC.
While he declared that state governors are leaders of the party in their states, Adamu said the APC constitution does not have provision for dual leadership in the states.
“The lack of unity in our party is such that non of us can pretend not to be unaware as it was the efforts to unite this party that led the previous caretaker committee to set up a reconciliation committee to find lasting peace. I know Mr President is not unmindful of what happened to PDP in 2014/2015, our party is not immune to similar fate should it conduct itself in such a way that continues to undermine the legacy of the founding fathers to build this party.
“I was the chairman of the reconciliation committee and came out of the assignment fully conversant of the problems. The battle rarely is a battle for supremacy between serving state governors and their predecessors in office. It is a crisis fueled by ego. So ego is the enemy. Ego between former and serving governors, ego has turned them into bitter enemies. Because of ego the two groups are putting our party in jeopardy and the effect will be in the polls next year” Adamu said.
He however conceded that former governors are leaders in their own rights, urging serving governors to accord them all the necessary respect.
“The serving governors and past governors are powerful men, each of them are leaders in there own right in there states but when two elephants fight the grass suffers. Similarly, when two powerful politicians fight the party suffers. Because the speech and actions of these powerful men will bring a filthy and odious stench to our party.
Speaking further, he said: “Our party must have the courage not to play lip service about it but the serving governors of our party in there various states are the leaders of the party and this is in line with our party’s constitution. It is important that the former governors recognize that the party structure must be respected. Our party’s constitution makes no room for two party leaders in a state. Their is no reason to compete with serving governors for the leadership of the party. They must not be disrespected, they must become statesmen in there own right. They must stay faithfully to offer advice to the serving governors and the party. The former governors are still powerful in there various states and the serving governors cannot afford to treat them with disrespect or ignore them in the scheme of things.
“Both groups must make sacrifices for the sake of this party. The party must enforce this position for the serving governors and former governors must reach a mutual convergence in giving mutual respect to one another. If this is reached in earnest it will be very easy for the party to reach a peaceful resolution.”
Buhari warns against imposing unpopular candidates
Meanwhile, President Buhari in a statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the APC was formed by a merger of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), some members from All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the new PDP, which was a faction of the then ruling party.
“We put together a committee with clear terms of reference on how to remove the PDP from power. The PDP thought it wasn’t going to be possible. But it happened,’’ the President said.
President Buhari told new members of the National Working Committee (NWC), which had been delegated powers of NEC for a period, to work towards keeping the party together by creating more room for discussions.
“There’s no time to develop differences among ourselves. We have no time for that,’’ he added.
The All Progressives Congress has fixed its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at N100 million.
The party’s national publicity secretary, Felix Morka, disclosed this shortly after the 11th National Executive Meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.
The nomination form would go for N70 million while expression of interest forms would go for N30 million.
The details of the nomination and expression of interest forms for all the other offices are attached below:
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