Buhari, APC Reps’ Meeting Ends In Deadlock.

The meeting President Muhammadu Buhari
held with the All Progressives Congress
members in the House of Representatives on
Monday failed to resolve the leadership crisis
in the lower chamber of the National
Assembly.
At the end of the meeting which lasted about
20 minutes, members of the two factions in
the House stuck to their different positions
and interpreted the President’s message to
them during the closed-door meeting in a
manner that suited their camps.
A mild drama played out as members of the
different factions struggled to grant interviews
to State House correspondent.
The thrust of their positions was that the
President directed them to remain with the
party with a view to ensuring that the APC
delivers the promised change to Nigerians.
A leader of one of the factions and former
Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, later
told journalists that the meeting dwelt
extensively on party supremacy, adding that
before the end of the day, Nigerians would be
briefed on the decision reached.
He said, “We are still talking. But I think this
is the first time everybody is coming together
in a cordial atmosphere. We came together for
the first time as one family, with a lot of
camaraderie. I think we are almost at the point
where all of these would be behind us,
hopefully by tomorrow (Tuesday).
“It is not about magic; it is about what should
have been done a long time ago. We have
finally sat down together and we will resolve it
before the night, in a couple of hours.
“The important thing is that the country wants
to move ahead. The House wants to move
ahead and the party wants to move ahead.
Move ahead, we shall.
“Whoever or whatever outside forces that
might have been stoking the fire, I think we
would put that to an end this evening at the
meeting.”
The National Chairman of the APC, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun, said the party would have a
good news for the nation by Tuesday.
Odigie-Oyegun said a lot was achieved during
the brief meeting.
The party chairman said, “Everything is
upbeat. You can see that I am smiling. You
will be very surprised that a lot was achieved
in 20 minutes.
“As the chairman of the party, I can say that
there are no discordant tunes. You can see the
Speaker of the House standing firmly besides
me and I have a feeling that in another three
or four hours and by tomorrow, we will have
good news for the nation.
“It is never too late to straighten the path.”
The Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, said he had
always remained on the side of the party.
“I have always stood firmly by the party. There
has never been a time that I never stood firmly
by the party.
“So, like my chairman has explained, we are
going into consultations with the party and I
am sure that sooner than later, we will have
good news for Nigeria.”
The meeting which was held inside the new
Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja,
started at about 5.40pm and ended about 20
minutes after.
Dogara and Gbajabiamila led their different
groups to the meeting.
Some members of the APC National Working
Committee, led by their chairman, also
attended.