*lobbies Lawmakers against plot to override Buhari on Electoral Act
* Sets up a 24 man peace,reconciliatory C’ttee
By Ignatius Okorocha
The National Working Committee (NWC)of the All progressive Congress (APC) yesterday stormed National Assembly in a bid to stop Lawmakers from over riding President Muhammadu Buhari’s refusal to assent the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)Amendment Act and the Nigerian peace corps Bill
The NWC led by the National Chairman of the party,Chief John Oyegun was in the Senate wing of the National Assembly Complex about two hours after plenary and went straight to Senate president’s office where they held a brief meeting before coming to join the rest of the APC Senate caucus at Room one conference hall.
In his opening remark, National chairman, APC, chief John Oyegun had said the meeting would afford the party a good opportunity to discuss general issues of the polity, reality and the forthcoming election that was less than a year.
“The election is between 10 to 11 months and we are here to strategize on the best way as we are approaching a critical election.I want to thank you most sincerely for taken out time to welcome us and it my believe that at the end of our discussion we shall leave here happy”
Also leader of senate, Ahmed Lawan( APC-Yobe North) had informed journalists that the meeting which was the first of its kind since the party came to power was to address internal conflicts bedeviling the party.
He said:”This meeting will go a long was in addressing key issues that are bedeviling our party. We believe that could have more of this meetings to make the party stronger.
“It is our conviction that the meeting will show us better ways of managing our party and even our government.
It also our believe that this meeting will afford us an opportunity to talk to our party leaders on any issue that we feel strongly and seriously and as such we shouldn’t miss this opportunity.”
According to Lawan the meeting which was at the instance of the NWC that has come to consult with the APC Caucus.
However,sources within the caucus said the party had been lobbying the leadership not to veto the two bills and to also screen numerous nominees sent to it by the presidency that the senate didn’t honour due to the refusal of president Buhari to drop Executive Chairman of EFCc Ibrahim Magu
The meeting our correspondent gathered was prompted by president Buhari who has failed to convince Senate and House of Representative leadership to also pass the 2018 bidget.
During the Meeting our source said members took time to ventilate on the rife between them and the presidency with some calling on the president to sack Magi now if he wants peace and call the inspector General of police Ibrahim Idris to order.
The issue of the Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello was also raised and senate president told Oyegun to call him to order as well.
The National Chairman pleaded with them to forget there differences and forge ahead for the coming elections that a house divided against itself will fail
He promised to reach out to the president over there grievances with a view to settling them
Briefing journalists after the three hour closed door meeting with the lawmakers’ the Senate leader, said the meting was simply like a father visiting his family.
“You know that the Senate has APC majority. And the APC National Working Committee wanted to have an interaction with the APC Senate Caucus. It is a big privilege for all of us and an opportunity as well to discuss with our leaders.
“The purpose of that meeting was to review the happenings in the party across the country at all levels of government. We as members of the National Assembly, are and will remain committed to ensuring that we continue to support the change agenda of our administration led by President Muhammadu Buhari. The party is the platform for all of us both the Legislature and the Executive. Therefore, in my view, the party has done so well by coming.”
According to him,”Senators took turn to express the ways out of some of the issues that have been bedeviling this party; and I believe that it was a worthwhile, very frank discussion.
“The party will soon constitute a team that will comprise the Executive, the Legislature, the party itself and representation from our governors, and we have 24 of them and are looking for more with Ekiti coming to the kitty. I am sure that our party was also glad to be here with us this afternoon.
“The idea of bringing everybody on the table is to ensure that we continue to be on the same page on every issue at the party level, at the National Assembly level, at executive level and some of our governors so that at all times, should there be any issue from any side, we should be able discuss it and dispense with it as quickly as possible.”
Fielding questions from journalists Senator Lawan said:”The issue of plan to override Mr. President on the Electoral Act Amendment is only a symptom, and I believe that discussions centered around so many things including that but we are coming to a situation where that can be resolved, and we are very hopeful that as soon as that Caucus is constituted, this kind of issue can easily be discussed and resolved.
This is our government, we shouldn’t be fighting dirty in the public. In fact, if we have misunderstanding, we should be able to deal with it inside our rooms not outside.
“No political party in any level of administration could have no problems at all. What makes the difference is for the political party to be able to manage such kind of challenges that rear their heads from time to time. So, we are on top the situation, we are going to deal with all our problems by the grace of God
On the 2018 budget he said”The Leadership of the National Assembly had also met with president Buhari in the villa over the same issues especially concerning passage of the 2018 budget
“The president was told why the budget was not ready yet that the MDAs had not submitted details and all that.He then promised to get all the MDS to submit .”
2019 Poll: APC NWC meets Senators
