Governors of Edo and Kebbi State, Adams Oshiomole and
Atiku Bagudu have stated that the government of the All Progressives
Congress, APC was not bent on removal of the deputy senate president, Senator
Ike Ekwerenmadu of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and that a former
minister in the last PDP administration cornered as much as $6billion.
The governors said that finding a lasting solution to the
imbroglio in the National Assembly arising from the election of its leadership
was paramount to the party and the APC governors.
They said that president Muhammadu Buhari was ready to
run an all-inclusive government with PDP federal lawmakers on board.
Both governors spoke yesterday during their visit to the
presidential villa, Abuja.
Speaking first to the State House Correspondents, Gov.
Oshiomole said their mission to the villa was to give a report of their meeting
with APC Senators to President Buhari.
Oshiomhole added that it was important to recognize some
APC lawmakers who were away during the National Assembly leadership election.
He said: “We went there basically to speak about the
issue in the National Assembly. The Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF, asked
both of us to try and engage the APC caucus in the senate on behalf of the
forum.
“And the whole idea is that having had some challenges in
the House and these are nothing new to you. You are familiar with the situation
that has produced a senate president of APC and a deputy senate president from
PDP and of course the fact that many APC Senators were not present when the
elections were held and that they now have what they called quota- a technical
issue about whether they formed a quorum or not.
“But whatever position you take, the truth of the matter
is that majority of APC Senators were in a location at the invitation of the
party waiting for party briefing when elections were held in the senate and
that has produced an upset.
“Now the current effort is to try to see how you would
have an all inclusive leadership in the senate; that those who were not
present, not because they were sleeping, but because they honored the party’s
invitation. By the time they were done, their colleagues have had election in
collaboration with PDP senators that were present.
“So, I feel the position now is ‘look how do you ensure
that having elected this two, that the remaining position that are within the
discretion of the APC caucus in the Senate are distributed in a way as to give
the other group that were shut out of the process a sense of belonging’. We are
convinced that a winner take all in this case won’t work and building peace is
making concession and power works better when it acknowledges that even the
person who is powerless has a right to exist.
“My brother and I spent some time with the senators last
night and we had what I think was a useful conversation. We have come today to
report to the president what transpired at those meetings and make few
suggestions to him and I think for me there is light, as they say, at the end
of the tunnel. One thing is clear, we are all APC family, we are all committed
to change.
“We recognise that there are few issues; people may not
be comfortable, but we have what it takes to resolve the issues so that in the
National Assembly we will have an APC senate caucus that is united, that is
ready to support the change agenda as the president is committed to and work
along with PDP.
“Nobody is suggesting that we shouldn’t work with PDP.
PDP exists in the house, just as APC had existed in the house under PDP
government. So, at some point there has to be a way to engage bipartisan. So,
that is basically why we are here.”
On the significance of president Buhari’s visit to the
United States, Oshiomole said he was optimistic it will pay off in due course.
He said: “That was a very wonderful outing. Nigerian
Presidents have visited U.S before but I think what is different is the level
of engagement and the general attitude and disposition of the U.S government.
It is not everyday that you hear from a U.S President right in the Oval Office
saying to Nigerian president “you are a man of integrity”.
“And America is confident that any transaction between
the American government and the Nigerian government will benefit the Nigerian
people. They believe that the stumbling block had been the issue of corruption
and now they have found a president they trust by reasons of his pedigree, his
disposition and his personal lifestyle. America is convinced that he has all
the qualities required to fight and to defeat corruption, and once that is out
of the way, then America is ready to stand by Nigeria to do what needs to be
done.
“President Obama was emphatic that given the size of
Nigeria and its population- our location within the continent and the role we
have played before- helping Nigeria to overcome some of its challenges would be
helping the African continent to reposition itself.
“He recalled with such fond memories the outstanding
contributions of the Nigeria Armed Forces in the past and regretted how from a
situation in which the Nigerian nation was looked upon for support when other
countries were in trouble in the continent it deteriorated to one in which the
Nigerian Armed Forces could no longer secure the Nigerian territory.
“That is how much things deteriorated and he expressed
that this is the result of declining values and all of that. So, with President
Buhari, everybody in the White House and the State Departments are all very
happy that for once Nigeria has a leader they can engage with.”
He lambasted the PDP and other critics of the U.S.
presidential visit.
“No no no, you have to pity them! We have a president who
talks with confidence; not a president that is blabbing and is not sure of what
the issues are. He (Buhari) is one that can tell the U.S Senate that look,
Nigeria is governed by rule of law. We are not going to do any of those things
that is offensive to the culture and tradition of our people.
“We have moved away from a president that doesn’t seem to
know his powers to one that understands that he is a president of the country
in the continent. So, what do you expect PDP to say? I always say that the day
you see armed robbers clapping, you know that things are going wrong.
“When you see them frowning, you know that the security
agencies are doing their best. PDP destroyed the country- I mean from the lips
of American officials; senior officials of the State departments. They said one
minister under PDP cornered as much as $6billion, and the man said even by
Washington standard that is earth-quaking.
“So, a party that presided over the liquidation of our
nation, destroyed all our institutions, converted the Armed Forces commanders
to use them as if they were political thugs, converted NTA to a party
megaphone, destroyed the SSS, went after opposition as if we were rabbits to be
pursued to our holes, compromised even student unions and destroyed everything
that you can think of; elevated religion to a state affair; Israel became a place
you visit every week; placed pastors against mallams, placed north against
south, east against west just to retain power; elevate Obas and Obis with
dollars. You guys were reporting dollars that were changing hands; when NNPC
was spending much more money than is available to the federation account.
“We are a very patient people. If we were not a patient
people, anybody wearing the tag of PDP ought to feel very unsafe because you
are all victims- all of us here. I spoke about how much Edo State government lost.
You were here last week; the bail out that you are talking about. That money
that has been coming in PDP, never paid that money to the treasury. They shared
it; the federal government spent it illegally. You are journalists, you are
known to be watch dog”, he said.
Also speaking, his Kebbi State counter-part, Bugadu said
their priority was to evolve a federal parliament that would serve Nigerians.
“I think we are not suggesting what should be done or not
done. What is important is to realize that the caucus members of the party are
desirous of evolving a solution that will bring inclusiveness so that the
senate and indeed the house will remain bodies that will serve the interest of
Nigeria as promised by our party”, he said.
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