Buhari's Meeting With APC Reps' Ends Inconclusive

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara

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.