The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Saturday, visited Sokoto as part of efforts to reconcile warring factions of the APC in the North-West.
Tinubu, who is the Head of the Presidential Reconciliation Committee of the APC, met Governor Aminu Tambuwal and his predecessor, Senator Aliyu Wamakko.
Others at the meeting included the Deputy Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, and National Vice-Chairman of the APC (North-West), Malam Inuwa Abdulkadir.
The former Lagos State governor, who was accompanied by some APC chieftains, held a two-hour meeting with his hosts at Wamakko’s residence in the Gawun Nama area of the state capital.
A source told one of our correspondents that although there was no crisis within the APC in Sokoto State, Tinubu came to consult with the stalwarts on how to solve the crisis in the North-West, a zone with the highest number of registered voters.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the crisis in Kano and Kaduna states, which have the highest number of voters in the North, was giving President Muhammadu Buhari a cause for concern.
He said, “There is crisis in Kano State between Governor Abdullahi Ganduje and his predecessor, Rabiu Kwankwaso. Also, there is crisis between Governor Nasir el-Rufai and Senator Shehu Sani (in Kaduna).
“You will recall that Senator Wamakko, as governor in 2015, headed Buhari’s Presidential Campaign in the North-West. So, Tinubu went to seek his advice on how to go about his task of reconciling the aggrieved parties.”
Speaking briefly to reporters after the meeting, Tinubu said he was in Sokoto for a family meeting.
“Family members meet regularly to talk to each other and I’m here for that purpose,” he stated.
Speaking , Sani, who said the APC panel had yet to reach out to him, expressed confidence in the Tinubu-led reconciliation.
He, however, expressed doubt on the party’s governors cooperating with the APC national leader.
Sani said, “There is hope. The committee can do a lot of damage control but it will depend on the governors cooperating with him (Tinubu).”
However, a source within the APC told one of our correspondents that the refusal of the Buhari government to release a new list of appointees to boards was already causing a fresh crisis in the party.
The source noted that after the outrage that trailed Buhari’s recent appointment of dead people into the boards of Federal Government’s agencies, the President had ordered the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, to review the entire list.
However, nearly two months after the list was released, the appointees were yet to resume.
One of the appointees said, “The President gave Tinubu a huge task but placed many obstacles in his way. Nearly two months after the President’s board appointments were made, no one has been able to resume.
“The President also promised to make more ministerial appointments but he has failed to do so. We are less than 12 months to the elections. Tinubu is only trying to make peace but he cannot make any promises.
“How will he address people’s grievances when he has no power to make any promises?”
However, a former interim Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande, called on members of the party to support Tinubu in his new task.
Akande said, “Serving the nation has complex colours which constantly dazzle distant onlookers. The job at hand is not about Buhari. It is not about position sharing. It is not about ethnic nationalism. It is about the strength and the beauty of one’s deeds at one time or the other. It is about our party – the APC – Buhari or no Buhari.
“Let’s all join with Buhari and Bola Tinubu side-by-side to make the APC stronger and more attractive for other generations to use as a vehicle for political emancipation.”
He said those causing trouble in the party or threatening to leave were not genuine members of the APC but only came to reap where they did not sow after causing trouble in their former parties.
Akande added, “Times like these call for sacrifice and service. Of note is the saying that a real man, a hero is known by where it stands in the time of adversity. Bola Tinubu, myself and President Buhari stand together in this effort to save APC from itself.” – Punch.
