Some governors elected on the platform of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) have met with the party’s National Leader, Senator Bola Tinubu, to deliberate on the internal crisis rocking Edo State chapter of the party ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
The APC in Edo had been split since the disagreement arising from the absence of some lawmakers at the inauguration of the State House of Assembly, with a group loyal to the APC National Chairman, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, and the other led by the incumbent governor, Mr Godwin Obaseki.
In a bid to resolve the dispute between the two groups, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi State), led Governor Obaseki and six other governors to seek Tinubu’s intervention in the matter.
Governors who attended the meeting included the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Babajide Sanwu-Olu (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Adeboyega Oyetola (Osun) and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun).
Others were Mohammed Abubakar (Jigawa) and Obaseki.
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According to Punch, five of the governors, including Obaseki, then proceeded to Abuja, preparatory to a meeting with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
A source privy to the meeting who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said, “The governors met with our national leader, they laid their cards on the table and plainly asked for his intervention, Punch further reports.
“They admitted that mistakes had been made especially with the governor’s refusal to pave the way for the swearing in of 14 elected APC members as members of the state Assembly.
“They also noted that the meeting ought to have held earlier and that the governor who was present at the meeting should have reached out to seek help much earlier before the situation degenerated to the level of a public spat between the governor and the national chairman.
According to Channels Television, as part of the steps towards resolving the dispute, the governors proposed that the APC lawmakers in Edo State who were not inaugurated alongside their colleagues be sworn in.
Meanwhile, another crisis may be brewing in the party following the disagreement over the mode of primary to be conducted to choose the party’s flagbearer for the governorship election.
While the National Working Committee of the party had approved the direct primary process, the camp loyal to the governor preferred the indirect primary.
The position of the latter was supported by the Chairmen of all the local government areas in Edo State.
Yetunde Adegoke
