Tinubu to select members of APC reconciliation panel

committee, Shehu responded thus: “Of course, he (Tinubu) cannot work alone. He will put the team together. It is up to him. When the time comes, he will assemble a team that will work with him,” he said.

After a sweeping victory that brought the APC to power in 2015 the party could not consolidate its gains as evident in the increased bickering amongst party bigwigs at all levels.

The mutual suspicion between the Presidency and the National Assembly, specifically the Senate under Senator Bukola Saraki has dragged on for too long. Several appointments by Buhari awaiting approval are now pending at the Senate.

Our correspondents report that in Kano, it is a fight between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his predecessor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Ganduje recently said Kwankwaso would be replaced as senator by another fellow in 2019.

This is even as Governor Ganduje has ruled out reconciliation with Rabiu Kwankwaso.

An online newspaper Daily Nigerian reported yesterday that Ganduje spoke while addressing candidates for the local government election on Monday.

He said although his predecessor had only one lawyer to defend the Kwankwasiyya movement, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice had gone to court with seven Senior Advocates Nigeria, SANs.

“And now they want us to reconcile. Why should we reconcile? On what basis?

“Right now the commissioner for justice is in Abuja, battling with them in them court. We hired seven lawyers who are Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), but they went to court with just one lawyer who stammers. How could he defeat us?

“They also filed a case here (in Kano) against the conduct of (local government) election. We have 12 lawyers lodged in hotel and they are given food and drinks. The begowned lawyers have with them bulky (legal) books to boot.

“The judgement will be delivered tomorrow (today). So you should keep vigil till dawn. God is behind the innocent. And we know we stand the truth.

“They (Kwankwasiyya) traverse the nooks and crannies of the country saying if we did not reconcile with them, we will not win election. This really baffles me. This is merely a tale. This is just a fib. This is sheer lie. So crazy, bunkum, hogwash…

“On this note, we parted ways with Kwankwasiyya forever,” he added.

In Kogi State, it is between aggrieved exercutives of the state chapter of the APC who have been at loggerheads with Governor Yahaya Bello for allegedly side-lining them since he assumed power.

Tinubu also has the daunting task of bringing James Abiodun Faleke/the late Prince Abubakar Audu’s political family on the same page with Bello.

The National leadership of the APC had at one time set up fact finding/reconciliation committees chaired by Tony Momoh and Gen. Idris Garba on the Kogi crises but not much was heard of it.

In Bauchi, quarrel is between Governor Mohammed Abubakar and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara as well as three senators from the state namely, Ali Wakili, Isa Hamma Misau and Nazifi Gamawa. They all accused the governor of reneging on the promises he made to the people during campaigns. The Senator Chris Ngige led Committee could not resolve the problem.

In Oyo State, the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shitu. Shitu, wants to succeed Governor Abiola Ajimobi but clearly, the governor has someone in mind and this has led some spats between the duo.

In Katsina, Governor Aminu Masari is trying to contend with threats from APC splinter group called the APC-Akida comprising people like MT Liman, Sadiq Yaradua, Sada Ilu and Usman Bugaje.

In Kaduna, there is serious revolt against Governor Nasir El-Rufai from the camp of Senator Shehu Sani and the likes of a former APC chairman in the state, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed.

In Zamfara, Senator Kabiru Marafa is at daggers drawn with Governor Abdul’aziz Yari over his recent comment that the governor had failed to stop killings in the state. People close to the governor had since declared Marafa’s seat vacant as 2019 draws near.

Senators spoken to said the reconciliation move would yield the desired result if President Buhari and his men were truly prepared for it.

One of the lawmakers from the North West said President Buhari should have acted one year ago, saying the crises were left to fester for long.

“For now, the crises revolve around 2019 elections and who gets the party’s tickets at various levels. The governors who are in their first term want to make their boys senators, the former governors they succeeded want to retain their Senate seats. The solution is one, that is automatic tickets for all of us,” the senator said.

Another senator said the reconciliation move won’t succeed with the ongoing case of the Senate President Bukola Saraki at the CCT.

“They are talking about reconciliation and we are right now at the court for Saraki’s CCT case. How do you marry the two together? Is this how they want to reconcile the feuding camps in the party?” he asked.

“You can’t say Saraki is not a stakeholder in the party. He is a politician, one of the leaders of the party and more importantly, he is the number three citizen. He was at the court when news of the reconciliation came up and we all know the circumstances surrounding his case. For us, the reconciliation is meaningless, “he said.

He said the body language of the Presidency towards the feuding camps in states must change for the crises rocking the party to end.

“They will succeed if they are truly prepared for it and if they have a genuine interest in reconciling us. But if they are not, they will not succeed. Similar assignment was given to the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. What happened to it? Did he invite anybody?

Dogara’s spokesman, Turaki Hassan, when contacted to know the speaker’s position on the assignment given to Tinubu, referred Daily Trust to a statement issued on December 31, 2017.

In the said statement, Dogara was reported as saying he would protect and defend the interest of the people of Bauchi State in arriving at any political decision ahead of 2019 elections.

“Wherever the interest of majority of the people dictates that we should go to, that is where you will find me by the grace of God,” Dogara had said, maintaining that he would consult his political associates before taking any decision.

A member of the House of Representatives, who did not want to be named, said although Tinubu has all it takes to carry out the assignment given to him by the president, he has limitations.

The lawmaker, a loyalist of Senator Kwankwaso, said Buhari will have to step in, in view of the seriousness of the matter in some states.

“Tinubu is just a proxy of the president, so he has his limitations. Yes, there are issues that he can handle, but there are others that he can’t. We believe that the president himself must come out to handle some of the issues. There are commitments and decisions,” the lawmaker said.

Asked if they would cooperate with the APC national leader, the lawmaker said: “We’ll give Tinubu all the support he needs so long as he’s not coming with a biased mind.”

Myriad problems at all levels Aggrieved party members speak ‘Tinubu has limitations’ It’s a welcome development – APC

Speaking on the development, the National Secretary of the party, Alhaji Maimala Buni said it was a welcome development.

“The intervention of the president is timely; as leader of the party, President Buhari had been doing so many things at various levels to ensure cohesion among members and this is another milestone worthy of commendation.

“The APC would come out stronger because Asiwaju Tinubu is a bridge builder and would definitely do the needful,” he said.