ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The peace meeting convened on Monday by President Muhammadu Buhari with members of the All Progressive Congress lawmakers in the House of Representatives was deadlocked, as members emerged from the meeting singing discordant tunes while fielding questions from State House correspondents.
Members came out of the meeting which lasted barely 20 minutes threatening to engage in fisticuffs, giving a peep into what may play out on the floor of the House as they resume sitting for legislative business on Tuesday, July 28.
Some members kept interjecting during the interviews each time they felt what was being said was not favourable to their camp.
The meeting, which was to afford Buhari an opportunity to wade into the crisis currently rocking the House of Representatives, ended abruptly with some members insisting that the party guideline must be followed.
Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara and the party’s choice, Femi Gbajabiamila were both in attendance at the meeting which held at the
new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa.
Gbajabiamila, who was the first to speak to newsmen, said the President insisted that the party was supreme and its structures must be adhered to.
He described the meeting as a “family meeting”, insisting that the meeting dwelt extensively on party supremacy, adding that before the end of the day, Nigerians would be briefed on the decision reached.
“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 will 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.”
Party chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, on his part 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 beside me and I have a feeling that in another three or four hours and by tomorrow, we will have a good news for the nation.
“It is never too late to straighten the path.
“I have a feeling in another three four hours and by tomorrow, we will have come to a compromise and have good news for the nation”.
On whether this was not coming late, he said that “it is never too late to strengthen the party”.
Dogara on his part said he had always stood by 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 sooner than later, we will have good news for Nigeria.”
Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas, deputy chairman of the House Media Committee, said the President appealed to the lawmakers to meet with the party’s leadership and revert to him (President Buhari) this night.
