Omoniyi Salaudeen
Following the pressure from critical stakeholders, President Buhari has finally resolved to intervene in the leadership stalemate.
A top hierarchy of the party privy to the resolution said Buhari is expected to meet all parties involved in the crisis on Sunday to reconcile the warring factions and get the party out of the quagmire.
Expressing optimism over the latest trouble-shooting initiative, the source said: “There is no cause for alarm; we will resolve the crisis on Monday. I am telling you authoritatively that the President will intervene on Sunday to resolve the crisis. “
The president’s planned intervention followed the warning by the electoral body that it would not extend the deadline for submission of names of candidates for the Edo State gubernatorial election billed for September 19.
Some concerned members of the party blamed the lingering crisis in Edo chapter of the APC, which has snowballed into national crisis, on the seeming lacklustre attitude of the president towards the party.
A member of the Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Frank Kokori, while speaking with Daily Sun in a telephone interview, could not hide his emotion, as he said, “since the leaders of the party at the centre and the president do not want to take charge, let confusion go on. The leadership of the party is in disarray. They are not serious people. I am a member of BoT. There has been no meeting of Board of Trustees of APC for five years. Since we have been appointed, we have not been inaugurated. Is that a serious party?
“If I am the president, I should have solved all those problems. The president does not just care about the party…All these unnecessary crises in APC are the result of the nonchalant attitude of the president. He will just say I am neutral and look the other way. As a politician, you cannot do that. As a father, you have to discipline your children. As a politician, you must intervene when a matter gets to a stage like this. Politics is different from other type business. You have to make some concessions and behave like a politician.”
Another party chieftain. Prince Tony Momoh, however, absolved the president of allegation of complacence, explaining that final authority on any matter lies with the NEC or National Convention of the party.
“Yes, the president is the national leader, but he will not be holding national press conference to tell you what he has done. What he has done is internal to APC. So, if you think he has done nothing, it is simply because you expect him to hold a press conference to tell you that he has done something,” he said.