The former NWC members have jettisoned their initial threat to go to court and have now resolved to work for the rebuilding of the party, the immediate past National Secretary of the party, Mallam Waziri Bulama, said yesterday.
He attributed the crisis to the ambitions of some leaders.
He also said the failure of all organs of the party to function effectively affected the party. But he was optimistic that the APC would not break up despite the crisis at hand.
Also on Friday, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, declared that alleged threats by some members of the dissolved National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to challenge the dissolution in court were created by the media.
The chairman of the Caretaker/Convention committee of the party, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, is understood to have commenced efforts to reach out to stakeholders of the party to bury their hatchets and rally round his committee to rebuild the party.
Reviewing the events of the last few days including the NWC dissolution and reactions of some party members, Bulama said the sacked NWC has already accepted the Thursday decisions of the National Executive Committee, would not go to court and would defer to Buhari.
Bulama spoke to some correspondents in Abuja. He said: “Following consultations with our leaders all the stakeholders, we have accepted the decision of the President on the dissolution of NWC and the setting up of a Caretaker Committee headed by Governor Mai Mala Buni.
“We are respecting the President. We are not antagonistic. All the views we expressed were in the light of the constitution of the party.”
Asked of plans to go to court, he said: “Consulting our leaders and stakeholders does not mean going to court. We have no such plans.
“We are putting aside all constitutional and legal processes in the overall interest of the party. We have respect for authority, we appeal to all the stakeholders not to escalate the crisis in the party. We will cooperate with Buni’s committee which will organize a convention in the next six months.”
Tracing the origin of the crisis, Bulama said all the organs of the APC collapsed giving rise to problems of all sorts.
“This is what is propelling some segments of the party in struggling to take control of the party because some elements within the Nigerian political elite see the political party as only within the limited scope of a function of a party as a special purpose vehicle for elections; thinking that if they seize control of the party and without Buhari, they can steer the party in one direction or the other,” he said.
“And this, actually and truly, is one of the philosophical and political issues and tensions we are facing in the party. There is no doubt about that. But certainly, the party can withstand this.
“The court cases were triggered by some of these interests some of which are political, some personal. For instance, political ambition, someone thinks that if he takes over the party, he can use it for this purpose or that. He or she wants to secure election in the local government, state, or the national level and use it to his own advantage. This can trigger agitation within the party.
“And this can make people to mobilize, lead to demonstration. They may even go to court or release information to the media direct. All these are interests; some of which are political, economic and even personal are the things that derive agitation and conflict within the party. But the party’s constitution has already provided for conflict resolution.”
He said APC would not break up contrary to the expectations in some quarters.
His words: “There are various people and groups in the party with different needs and aspirations. There are some who want power; there are people who only want empowerment; there are those who want influence, employment; some want respect and acknowledgement. The interests in a party are very diverse and varied
“And when I say these pressures, interests and demands within the 16 million registered members cause no threat to the survival of the party, I am talking with authority.
“I have not seen threats of breakup of this party. But I have seen pressures, tensions to occupy one post or the other especially calls for why is there no NEC, why is there no this and that? I am saying that all the 14 organs had been in comatose.”
