APC Crisis: Tinubu Backtracks, Backs Buhari

By Fola James

Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the National Publicity Secretary of the now sacked, APC National Working Committee has broken ranks with aggrieved members of the body who, on Thursday, threatened to drag President Muhammadu Buhari to court for sacking them from office.

The development, analysts say indicate a sharp division in the ranks of aggrieved APC leaders led by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The faction, had on Thursday disagreed with President Buhari over the dissolution.

Reacting to their sack, in a statement, after the party’s NEC held in Aso Rock, the Hilliard Eta-led 18 members NWC said, the president has violated the party’s constitution.

The statement said “Article 25(B) of the Constitution of the APC is explicit that only the National Chairman or the National Working Committee (NWC) is given the prerogative of summoning meetings of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party cither for statutory quarterly meetings or for emergency meetings.

The same provision of the constitution makes it compulsory for a notice of a minimum of 14 days in respect statutory quatertly meetings and 7days in respect of an emergency meeting.”

The NEC meeting presided over by President Buhari where the decision to replace the NWC with a caretaker committee, the aggrieved NWC members also said.

The statement signed by Eta said “We note that Chief Victor Giadom had convened and conducted a virtual meeting purportedly to be a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of our Party wherein certain far-reaching resolutions were purportedly reached.

While the National Working Committee is studying the unfolding drama, it will be consulting with stakeholders and a team of lawyers on the next line of action.”

It has now emerged that some NWC members were not taken along by Eta before making that decision as the statement of Isa-Onilu has suggested.

The party’s former spokesman, in a statement on Friday said he abide by the decision of the President to dissolve the NWC.

In the statement titled ‘Support Governor Buni-led Caretaker Committee’, Onilu said : “President Buhari along with the NEC of our great party, the APC on Thursday dissolved the party’s NWC.

I was not just a proud member of that organ, I was also the Spokesman of the party. It was a privilege to have the opportunity to serve under the governing party of a government led by President Buhari.

However, by this statement, I am speaking in my personal capacity and not for anyone or group. 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.”

Onilu said the president saved the party from total collapse by sending Eta and other NWC members packing.

He said “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.

I therefore call on every member to rally round the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee led by Mai Mala Buni, an experienced party administrator and other eminent members of that committee who, of course, are our compatriots, as they embark on the process of rebuilding our party to the height we all desire.”

In obvious reaction to the decision of his other colleagues to drag the president to court, Onilu said they have no power to challenge Buhari on any decision he took to salvage the party from imminent collapse.

“Ours must be a party that is strong and truly progressive; one that can provide our government the support it requires to deliver more dividends of democracy.

We all have the obligation to subordinate our individual interests to the collective interests of our government and country. The task of preserving President Muhammadu Buhari’s unprecedented legacies is not negotiable,” Onilu said.

Meanwhile, close watchers of the party told the magazine that the faction of APC led by former Lagos governor, Tinubu may have realized that dragging Buhari to court will end a futile exercise.

Tinubu had on Thursday denied report that he’s no longer supporting President Buhari, insisting that his opponents wanted to destroy his relationship with the president.