APC crises: Buhari wants me to unify aggrieved party members- Tinubu

The national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has expressed displeasure at the state of rancor in the ruling party, saying President Muhammadu Buhari has asked him to reconcile aggrieved members as the party is no longer where it was when it won the 2015 general elections.

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, stated this on Wednesday before the closed-doors meeting with members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at its National Secretariat in Abuja.

He said the party came into power with a lot of expectations and goodwill some of which have dissipated. He said he was at the secretariat to consult and seek opinions on how to reconcile and move the party forward.

He said, “I am here to consult since you are already aware of the directive and announcement of the President who is the leader of our party and the President of this country.

“First, let me sympathizes with our National Vice Chairman’ North Central for the various incidents happening around that corridor and extend our condolences on behalf of the people and our party and equally condole with you on the death of John Shagaya, a very great national patriot.

“May his soul rest in peace and may God bring peace to Benue, Taraba, Plateau and to the country as a whole, including Nasarawa and all other places being affected by the age-old system that we are now currently facing the challenges of.”

On the friction in the party, Tinubu said the solution was to seek opinions and advice of members “on the various complex issues around some states or if there is any national one, to reconcile, move the party in a cohesive manner and reposition if any and build the confidence among ourselves.

“We worked hard for victory. We have never governed before, but we won the confidence of Nigerians to govern. We have a creed to really serve the country, change and reform the country. It is not easy to have those changes implemented like instant coffee. We have to grow it and face challenges. I sympathize with us and we should equally look at ourselves.”

The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, while welcoming Tinubu, said his visit was important as it would unify the party behind one objective.

He said, “Your visit is very significant in view of your presidential assignment which I will describe as a peace ambassador, to heal wounds where the party has wounds and bring everybody together behind one single objective, which is the APC being in good condition to be a fighting political force such that in 2019, the election will become virtually a runaway victory for the party’”.