ABUJA, Federal Republic of Nigeria. President Muhammadu Buhari was the force behind the decision of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to make a U-turn and recognise the election of Senate President Bukola Saraki.
Sources close to the administration told Sunday Tribune in Abuja that security reasons were the most important condition that forced the U-turn.
It was gathered that security chiefs were becoming uncomfortable with the bickering in the ruling party and got their expert views to the president on the matter.
It was gathered that the service chiefs and some security experts in the administration had told Buhari of the need to stall the bitter war between Saraki and the APC, since he had publicly announced his readiness to work with the National Assembly leaders.
At a meeting with party chiefs on Friday, President Buhari was said to have informed the party on the need to make “a tactical maneuvering” about its grievances against Saraki at this time, so as to allow a smooth take-off of the government.
National chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had on Friday announced the party’s decision to recognise the election of Senator Saraki, declaring that the different arms of the party were talking.
His position was a far cry from the fire-spitting outlook of the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, who had made statements on the matter.
Some leaders of the party had also announced the readiness to deal with Saraki by imposing sanctions.
A meeting said to have been scheduled between Saraki and the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Thursday was called off, as the party structure continued to be hostile to the Senate president.
Sources close to the administration, however, confirmed on Saturday that the intervention of President Buhari facilitated the statement credited to Odigie-Oyegun on Friday.
It was gathered that a number of security chiefs who had been monitoring the rift in the ruling party had observed that the trend was not good enough for the smooth take-off of the administration.
It was gathered that the security chiefs got together and decided to approach the president on the matter.
Sources told Sunday Tribune that after they had convinced the president on the need for his intervention, Buhari called a meeting of the leadership of APC and told it of the need to accept Saraki and Honourable Yakubu Dogara as Senate president and speaker, respectively.
He was said to have told the party of the reports by the security chiefs, which indicated that a prolonged battle between the National Assembly leadership and the party would strangulate his government.
The president was said to have convinced party leaders that rather than continue the bickering with Saraki at this time, they should lie low for now, while meting out what they consider as appropriate measures later.
It was learnt that Odigie-Oyegun decided to announce the readiness of the APC to accept Saraki’s election in line with the discussion with President Buhari.
However, other sources in the party told Sunday Tribune that the chairman did not consult with the organs in the party before making the pronouncement, adding that the party would talk at the appropriate time.
It was gathered that the Board of Trustees (BoT) and other leaders might be called upon to wade into the situation.
Lawan group ready for legal tussle
It was also gathered that the party leaders had continued to give their backing to the group loyal to Senator Ahmad Lawan, the party’s candidate for the position of Senate president.
The group, according to a source, had already gathered some eminent lawyers in preparation for its legal battle with Saraki.
Their grouse, as expressed by Senators Banabas Gemade and Kabir Marafa on the Senate floor on Wednesday, was the refusal of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, to delay the inauguration of the Senate, while they went for a meeting of APC lawmakers said to have been called by President Buhari at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja.
But sources in the National Assembly have confirmed that the office of the Clerk did not receive any verbal or documented notice to indicate that the president wanted a delay of Senate’s inauguration.
A source challenged leaders of the APC to provide any such evidence to the public.
“The clerk is a civil servant. He obeys constituted authorities and that was what he did when he received the proclamation from the president, which asked him to inaugurate the NASS at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, 9 June. Doing anything to the contrary would amount to defying constituted authorities,” the source said.
Credit: Tribune (Nigeria)
