By Ismaila Chafe
Abuja – The Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, has said that all contentious issues surrounding the leadership crisis confronting the All Progressives Congress (APC) will soon be reconciled.
Bagudu stated this when he addressed State House correspondents at the end of a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House, Abuja, on Monday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bagudu was accompanied to the State House by Governors Simon Lalong of Plateau and Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa.
He said the governors were in the State House to share with the president the Progressive Governors’ position on how best to address the lingering crisis facing the APC.
“Today, my brothers the Governor of Plateau State Simon Lalong and the Governor of Jigawa State Abubakar Badaru and myself visited President Muhammadu Buhari as our party leader, as the leader that millions of Nigerian trust, to discuss party issues and the position of the Progressive Governors to support all steps to unify and bring about peaceful resolution in our party the All Progressives Congress.
“The President listened to us attentively and discussed with us as a father, as a party leader and gave us all the assurance needed to know that resolution of contentious issues will soon be arrived at.”
Bagudu, who is the governor of Kebbi, described President Buhari as a democrat that allows all arms of the party to function according to the provisions of the party’s constitution.
“At all times the President has shown that he is a democrat. He is not running the party; yes, he is the party leader but he allows the party’s organs to do and decide what should be done.
“He is very hesitant to use his standing even as party leader talk less of his authority as President of the country to direct things,’’ he added.
According to the governor, in any political assembly, there are bound to be recurring issues because a political party is never a perfect assembly.
Bagudu agreed that it was necessary for the National Executive Committee of the party to meet as part of steps towards resolving the crisis.
“I believe that whatever needs to be done including the possibility of calling any of the organs of the party that is necessary for the resolution of lingering issues will be done immediately.
“Let me again say that the party is never a perfect assembly.
“There will always be issues and that is why we talk, but yes certainly, organs of the party needs to meet and Mr President without directing is always supporting the necessity of party organs meeting appropriately,’’ he said.
(NAN)
