Tenure Elongation: APC governors backtrack on Oyegun, others

Some governors elected on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Wednesday had a close-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, saying they would abide by the provisions of APC constitution and elect new officials.
The governors also dismissed media reports that there was disagreement between them and the President over the tenure elongation debacle.
Briefing State House correspondents, Governor Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state said all the 24 governors of the APC are on the same page with the President on the need to adhere to the provisions of the party’s constitution.
“Yesterday we left you in the dark after the meeting and today we have seen so many captions that there is disagreement between the governors over the issue of party Chairman or about the party leadership. No. We had a meeting with Mr. President yesterday (Tuesday), and we extended the meeting tonight and we followed up with the consultations with the President now.
“We consulted and all the 24 governors of the APC are in the same page with Mr President that we are going to respect our party constitution; we are going to respect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,’’ he said.
He said the governors have collectively agreed that there should be congresses at local, state and national levels, adding that a committee set up by the National Secretariat of the party headed by Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau would present its report.
“There is no deadlock in our meeting, we have progressed and very soon you will have the names of the convention committee members as well as the timetable,” he said.
Also speaking, Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo said: “There is no crisis in the APC at all and we want to use this opportunity to advise the media operatives to stop spreading rumuors of crisis in APC. There is no single crisis in APC. But let me correct one impression, the issue of congress and convention does not mean that the previous people who have served the party have done badly.
“And it does not mean that they cannot come back or that they cannot re-contest, that is not it. We are simply saying that their tenure has ended and those who wish to re-contest can re-contest and can be elected into our party structure. So, we are all one as family and we are set to go for 2019 elections in victory.’’