The All Progressives Congress has disowned members of the factional Reformed-All Progressives Congress.
The APC said it had initiated a probe into the membership status of some persons purporting to be leaders of the new group.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in Abuja, on Thursday.
The party said, “On Wednesday, July 4, 2018, a group of individuals announced itself as ‘Reformed All Progressives Congress (R-APC)’ at a press conference held in Abuja. By its actions, this group has attempted to create the impression that our party is factionalised. This is not true.
“The All Progressives Congress wishes to affirm that there is no faction in our party and declares the action by these individuals as mischievous and ill-advised.
“Having failed to scuttle the national convention as was their original plan, they now resort to this subterfuge as a way of achieving the pre-determined end of causing confusion.
“As a matter of fact, we doubt that these individuals parading as leaders of the so-called faction are actual members of our party. We are currently investigating their true membership status within the party.”
The APC said it would continue to monitor developments, adding that it would defend its unity and protect its identity.
It stated, “We are currently reviewing the action of this so-called faction in order to determine if any aspect of the party’s constitution has been breached with the connivance of any of our members.”
The APC assured party members who had genuine grievances that the new leadership of the party was committed to addressing such grievances as quickly as possible in a manner that would ensure justice was done to all.
No panic over factional APC, Yari says
Also, the Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, said there was no panic in the APC over the Wednesday emergence of a faction known as the Reformed -APC.
Yari said this in an interview with State House correspondents after a meeting he attended at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The governor said the crisis was expected in a big party like the APC, especially ahead of general elections.
Although he said he was worried over the development, Yari expressed the conviction that the party’s leadership would handle the matter.
He said, “Of course, I am worried (over the matter) but it is something the party will handle.
“You know that with the forthcoming elections, you will expect this kind of thing. You will expect crises left, right and centre because of political interest, especially in a party with an overwhelming majority.
“The most important thing is that with the emergence of new leadership (of APC), everything will be resolved. Therefore, there is no panic.”
Oshiomhole meets Reps, carpet R-APC members
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, said so long as members of the APC felt that there was no justice in the running of its affairs, the crisis rocking the party would only worsen.
The Speaker also stated that trying to silence the voices of dissent and opposition would also fail.
Dogara spoke at the National Assembly on Thursday, just as the APC National Chairman, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, and other members of the National Working Committee held a meeting with the party’s caucus at the House.
He added that the APC was like a family where people must disagree, but what was important was the methodology adopted in resolving disputes.
Only justice can solve APC crisis – Dogara
The Speaker said, “In every family, whether it is a nuclear, extended or an organisation, there is bound to be a problem and that is because we humans that are running those institutions are not perfect ourselves. So, we don’t expect perfection from any quarters.
“Our only expectation is the issue of justice and justice is indivisible. What is justice to the executive should be justice to the legislature and it should be justice to the judiciary.
“What is justice to the President and the Vice-President should be justice to the governor and it has to be justice for the members of the National Assembly, because you can’t divide justice. Once you begin to divide justice you don’t have justice.”
However, speaking shortly after the closed-door meeting ended, Oshiomhole told reporters that the “real stakeholders” of the APC were holding fruitful discussions on how to strengthen it.
But he quickly dismissed the newly-formed Reformed APC faction calling both the National Chairman of the R-APC, Mr. Buba Galadima, and the members of his group, ‘bread and butter’ politicians.
Oshiomhole said, “There is no break-up; if one Galadima of no particular political address says he is not happy, that is fine! He has a right not to be happy.
“I won’t miss my sleep over whatever he chooses to call himself (R-APC). We know those who are in politics for bread and butter. For us, we are engaging the real stakeholders.
“We are engaging those in the arms of government, the Executive and the National Assembly, where we have very influential leaders.
“But if you have people who are being sponsored by those who thought that our convention would be a failure and they were expecting an implosion, they were shocked how things worked out.
“If after two weeks of wriggling in pains, that they are disappointed, you find mercenaries who are willing to be hired for a purpose, it is their right to be so hired.
“They do not cause any distractions within the core APC leadership.”
APC end nearer than expected, says PDP chairman
But the Peoples Democratic Party has said that the days of the APC as a ruling party would soon come to an end.
The National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday, said, “We knew all along that the APC is an enterprise. It was formed to merely snatch power without a concrete plan on how to utilise it. The division within its rank is an indication that the ruling party will even die before its time.
“We knew all along that the party was destined to die. It was meant to get power at all costs without adequate preparation on how to utilise it.
“So, the fight within its inner caucus shows that the APC is dead. It will be buried in 2019 with the electoral defeat of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Asked if the PDP was prepared to accept the angry members of the ruling party, Secondus added that “they will join others in our party to vie for any political office of their choice. No restriction as we will give them waivers.”
In Kwara State, the factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Bashir Bolarinwa, said the R-APC was formed allegedly by power mongers.
Bolarinwa, whose faction is loyal to President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, spoke during a media briefing in Ilorin.
A pro-Buhari/Ganduje group, on Thursday in Kano, vowed to garner not less than five million votes for Buhari during the 2019 general elections.
Briefing newsmen in Kano, leader of the group, under the aegis of “Ranar Wankar Buhari /Ganduje”, dismissed the R-APC as no threat.
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