Barely 10 months as Nigeria's new ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the national caucus on March 23, endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari as it candidate for the 2019 presidential election, Vanguard Newspaper reported.
The national caucus, comprising serving and former governors, the National Assembly leadership, and selected members of the national executive of the party, at the meeting said the endorsement of President Buhari for a second term would help to stabilise the polity in the face of what members described as the 16-year rot inherited from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
According to them, the endorsement of Buhari for a second term would help to stabilise the polity considering the 16-year rot inherited from Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The caucus at the meeting constituted a committee to resolve all pending issues in the party among other pressing issues agreed on.
It was gathered that the caucus agreed that President Buhari should be allowed to seek a second term, though some of the caucus members also noted that it was too early to kick start a second term campaign for the president. It was further learnt that the matter was brought to the fore in a bid to curb restiveness among some party leaders, who have been split over their 2019 political ambition.
The development is attributed to the problems that led to the crisis in the National Assembly and also the inability of the party to inaugurate its board of trustees (BoT) till date. A source privy to the situation in the party said: “With Buhari contesting in 2019, those who have been squabbling will now have to queue up behind him and put the interest of the party ahead.” In a related development, senators elected on the platform of the party on Tuesday night also decided to work together.
At a meeting held in Abuja, the senators vowed to unify themselves in order not to misplace their influence to the more united PDP caucus in the house.
However, the national chairman of the party, chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who spoke with journalists at the end of the meeting, clarified that there was no threat against his position. He dismissed reports of pressure on him to resign his office, saying: “I am not aware that my office is under threat. I led the party to the State House. It amazes me, occasionally it annoys me. That is one of the things you have to endure when you are in a position like mine.” The national chairman confirmed that a committee was set up to resolve all the crises in the party.
He urged Nigerians to give the party time to deliver, assuring them that the administration would pick up after the 2016 budget is passed.
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