Reconciliation: APC doomed if Tinubu fails, says Shehu Sani

The senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in
the Senate, Shehu Sani, has said that avoidable doom awaits the All
Progressives Congress at the 2019 polls, should Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu fail to reconcile aggrieved members.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Sani, a chieftain of
the APC, stated this on Sunday in Abuja in an interview with
newsmen.

It was his own reaction to Tinubu’s recent appointment by
President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the APC team of consultation,
reconciliation and confidence-building.

“It is going to be a tragedy if he fails. This is what I know
and I can speak in parables,” said Sani who has not been in a good
relationship with Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State.

According to him, el-Rufai has pocketed the party and wants to
impose his will and unleash terror on members, by exploiting his
proximity to the President.

He said Tinubu’s appointment had halted, for now, the defection
of most APC members to other political parties.

“It is left for Asiwaju to build the bridges. Lagos is known for
bridges; therefore we hope that there will be the Seventh Mainland
Bridge to connect the divide, but we are not sure of this.

“Right now, the party is already divided in Kaduna and it is for
the national secretariat to note this and we have said it in clear
terms.

“The problem has defied solution for two years, but we believe
that Asiwaju can do a lot of reconciliation.

“We hope that he will be able to achieve a lot, because if he
fails, it is going to be doom for the party.

“In the process where reconciliation is taking place now, I
think it is in our interest to put our ambitions in our pockets
according to what Mr. President said and wait for Asiwaju to
address the problem,” he said.

Sani advised the Tinubu reconciliation team not to take sides
but to give equal treatment, especially in Kaduna State, in the
interest of the party and its members.

He expressed confidence that Tinubu´s appointment could most
likely address the fundamental issues that were confronting the
party at both the national and state level.

Meanwhile, a former Kogi State governorship running mate in the
2015 election, Mr. James Faleke, has said aggrieved groups in the
state are ready for talks and welcome the initiative of President
Buhari to set up a committee to reconcile members who are unhappy
with the party across the country.

Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives, represents
Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos State. However, his home state
is Kogi.

He spoke exclusively with The PUNCH on the telephone in Abuja on
Sunday.

Several political upheavals in Kogi State are said to be caused
by the dispute between the Faleke cum supporters of the late
governor of the state Abubakar Audu on one hand and Governor Yahaya
Bello’s faction.

But, speaking with our reporter, Faleke said that party
loyalists were waiting for the Tinubu-led presidential
reconciliation committee to roll out it modus operandi and they
would attend any reconciliation meetings called by the
committee.

However, Faleke said the members were hoping that the
presidential committee would not go the way of two previous
committees, which looked into the Kogi matter but nothing
happened.

“There were two committees before now, set up by the National
Working Committee of the APC.

“One was led by Tony Momoh and the second one by Gen. Chris
Garba (retd.). We attended meetings, submissions were made.

“We waited for action and that was where it ended. But, this
committee by the President is another good idea and we support it
wholeheartedly,” Faleke stated.

The senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District in
the Senate, Shehu Sani, has said that avoidable doom awaits the All
Progressives Congress at the 2019 polls, should Asiwaju Bola Ahmed
Tinubu fail to reconcile aggrieved members.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that Sani, a chieftain of
the APC, stated this on Sunday in Abuja in an interview with
newsmen.

It was his own reaction to Tinubu’s recent appointment by
President Muhammadu Buhari to lead the APC team of consultation,
reconciliation and confidence-building.

“It is going to be a tragedy if he fails. This is what I know
and I can speak in parables,” said Sani who has not been in a good
relationship with Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State.

According to him, el-Rufai has pocketed the party and wants to
impose his will and unleash terror on members, by exploiting his
proximity to the President.

He said Tinubu’s appointment had halted, for now, the defection
of most APC members to other political parties.

“It is left for Asiwaju to build the bridges. Lagos is known for
bridges; therefore we hope that there will be the Seventh Mainland
Bridge to connect the divide, but we are not sure of this.

“Right now, the party is already divided in Kaduna and it is for
the national secretariat to note this and we have said it in clear
terms.

“The problem has defied solution for two years, but we believe
that Asiwaju can do a lot of reconciliation.

“We hope that he will be able to achieve a lot, because if he
fails, it is going to be doom for the party.

“In the process where reconciliation is taking place now, I
think it is in our interest to put our ambitions in our pockets
according to what Mr. President said and wait for Asiwaju to
address the problem,” he said.

Sani advised the Tinubu reconciliation team not to take sides
but to give equal treatment, especially in Kaduna State, in the
interest of the party and its members.

He expressed confidence that Tinubu´s appointment could most
likely address the fundamental issues that were confronting the
party at both the national and state level.

Meanwhile, a former Kogi State governorship running mate in the
2015 election, Mr. James Faleke, has said aggrieved groups in the
state are ready for talks and welcome the initiative of President
Buhari to set up a committee to reconcile members who are unhappy
with the party across the country.

Faleke, a member of the House of Representatives, represents
Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos State. However, his home state
is Kogi.

He spoke exclusively with The PUNCH on the telephone in Abuja on
Sunday.

Several political upheavals in Kogi State are said to be caused
by the dispute between the Faleke cum supporters of the late
governor of the state Abubakar Audu on one hand and Governor Yahaya
Bello’s faction.

But, speaking with our reporter, Faleke said that party
loyalists were waiting for the Tinubu-led presidential
reconciliation committee to roll out it modus operandi and they
would attend any reconciliation meetings called by the
committee.

However, Faleke said the members were hoping that the
presidential committee would not go the way of two previous
committees, which looked into the Kogi matter but nothing
happened.

“There were two committees before now, set up by the National
Working Committee of the APC.

“One was led by Tony Momoh and the second one by Gen. Chris
Garba (retd.). We attended meetings, submissions were made.

“We waited for action and that was where it ended. But, this
committee by the President is another good idea and we support it
wholeheartedly,” Faleke stated.