Confusion as APC cancels meeting with governors

There was confusion at the national secretariat of the All
Progressives Congress in Abuja on Wednesday as the party failed to
hold its monthly meeting with the governors elected on the platform
of the ruling party.

Some party members said the meeting could not hold due to the
short notice to the governors, even as two governors were present
at the secretariat to attend the meeting. The two governors are
those of Jigawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, and the Deputy
Governor of Edo State, Mr Philip Shuaibu.

The two were at the party secretariat before they reportedly
learnt that the meeting had been cancelled.

It was gathered that the meeting was shelved after the National
Working Committee got hint that some of the governors would not
attend because of their grievances against party leaders.

The recent ward congresses held in Kano and Kogi states, which
ended in controversy, were said to have made the governors of the
state angry because they were not happy with the positions taken by
the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led leadership.

Other governors, including the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam
Nasir el-Rufai, were also said to be angry with the position of the
party on the last congress.

Oyegun had said that the party was looking into complaints
arising from the congresses in some states, especially in Rivers
and Kaduna states.

Wednesday’s failed meeting was supposed to be the fifth in the
series of the monthly meeting of the APC NWC and the governors.

During the first meeting, which held in April, the party stated
that the meeting was in preparation for the 2019 general
elections.

The party had also used the meeting to address the financing of
the party and the proposed non-elective National Convention.

The suspended meeting would have been the first to be attended
by the APC principal officers of the National Assembly.

But in his reaction, Abdullahi told our correspondent that the
meeting could not hold because of another meeting of the governors
with the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

He said, “We usually hold the meeting ahead of the National
Economic Council meeting; but we have to shift it due to the
meeting the governors have scheduled to hold with the Acting
President.”

There was confusion at the national secretariat of the All
Progressives Congress in Abuja on Wednesday as the party failed to
hold its monthly meeting with the governors elected on the platform
of the ruling party.

Some party members said the meeting could not hold due to the
short notice to the governors, even as two governors were present
at the secretariat to attend the meeting. The two governors are
those of Jigawa State, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar, and the Deputy
Governor of Edo State, Mr Philip Shuaibu.

The two were at the party secretariat before they reportedly
learnt that the meeting had been cancelled.

It was gathered that the meeting was shelved after the National
Working Committee got hint that some of the governors would not
attend because of their grievances against party leaders.

The recent ward congresses held in Kano and Kogi states, which
ended in controversy, were said to have made the governors of the
state angry because they were not happy with the positions taken by
the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led leadership.

Other governors, including the governor of Kaduna State, Mallam
Nasir el-Rufai, were also said to be angry with the position of the
party on the last congress.

Oyegun had said that the party was looking into complaints
arising from the congresses in some states, especially in Rivers
and Kaduna states.

Wednesday’s failed meeting was supposed to be the fifth in the
series of the monthly meeting of the APC NWC and the governors.

During the first meeting, which held in April, the party stated
that the meeting was in preparation for the 2019 general
elections.

The party had also used the meeting to address the financing of
the party and the proposed non-elective National Convention.

The suspended meeting would have been the first to be attended
by the APC principal officers of the National Assembly.

But in his reaction, Abdullahi told our correspondent that the
meeting could not hold because of another meeting of the governors
with the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo.

He said, “We usually hold the meeting ahead of the National
Economic Council meeting; but we have to shift it due to the
meeting the governors have scheduled to hold with the Acting
President.”