Buhari’s meeting with APC lawmakers ends in stalemate… but there’s a glimmer of hope

President Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting with the All Progressives Congress members in the House of Representatives on Monday evening, did not achieve the desired result by out-rightly ending the leadership crisis.

Buhari reportedly ordered the lawmakers to make sure the crisis is sorted out before plenary resumes on Tuesday morning, saying that he didn’t want to get involved in legislative affairs but maintaining that party discipline must be upheld.

The President was said to have instructed Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Femi Gbajabiamila to hold a meeting with the national chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun and find a solution to the problem within the next six hours.

The closed-door meeting lasted for about 20 minutes, and afterwards, members of the two factions in the lower chamber of the National Assembly, appeared not have reached a definitive accord, owing to their comments.

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the lawmakers revealed that President Buhari instructed them to remain with the party in order to allow the APC deliver the promised change to Nigerians.

A former Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, who is one of the factional leaders, told journalists that party supremacy was mainly discussed during the meeting, adding that Nigerians would be briefed on the outcome, subsequently.

He said, “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 would 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.”

John Odigie-Oyegun, on his part, stated that the party would have a good news for the nation by Tuesday, owing to the fact that a lot was achieved during the short meeting.

Oyegun 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 besides me and I have a feeling that in another three or four hours and by tomorrow, we will have good news for the nation. It is never too late to straighten the path.”

Meanwhile, Yakubu Dogara, said: “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 that sooner than later, we will have good news for Nigeria.”

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