The meeting of the Senate caucus of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday, with The National Working Committee, NWC, ended in deadlock, as the meeting was characterized by fireworks.
The meeting was at the instance of the National Working Committee, NWC, to mediate on the lingering face-off between the Executive and the Senate.
Some of the Senators after the meeting, expressed disappointment that the resolution of the Senate on the Acting Chairman, Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, had not received any response from the President, despite his rejection twice by the Senate.
“We let them know we feel disrespected as an institution. How can the Senate send a memo to the President on Magu, and there has been no response?
“But by choosing to be silent and letting him continue in an acting capacity, it is a slight on us as an equal arm of government.
“We also let them know that the delay in the Constitution of governing Boards of Agencies and Parastatals, is affecting us as party stakeholders. People who put in their all, mobilised for the party’s success in the 2015 general elections, are yet to be rewarded, and they call us every day to ask us what is going on.
“The President has refused to make key appointments, and even the few ones he has made, critical stakeholders were not consulted. Does he (Buhari) want to fill all the slots by himself?
“What about the people who worked hard at the State levels, what is their fate?” the Lawmaker asked.
He disclosed further, that the NWC appealed to the Senators to reconsider the suspension of Ndume.
“We have taken a decision to suspend him. It is that simple,” the Lawmaker stated.
Another Lawmaker, disclosed that the Senators also expressed disappointment that the Oyegun-led NWC, has ignored a bloc as important as theirs for such a long time, and did not deem it fit to meet with the caucus for almost two years into the lifespan of the administration.
“We let Chief Oyegun know he is part of the problem. How could he not have met with us regularly, and it is only now when there is a crisis that he thinks he should meet with us?
“We were inaugurated, no agenda from the party, no inclusion. But they chose to fight us, because we did not let them impose leaders on us. The party was treating us like the enemy, like the opposition,” the Lawmaker lamented.
He added, that at the end of the meeting, Oyegun assured the APC Senate caucus, that the party would take urgent steps to correct the mistakes of the past.
“We expect the NWC to take our messages to the President, and let him know we are really aggrieved,” the Lawmaker said.
The leadership of the APC, also used the opportunity of what Oyegun described as a “historic meeting”, to solicit the support of its Senate caucus, to canvass for funding of the party.
The meeting had in attendance: the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun; Deputy National Chairman, Senator Lawal Shuaibu; National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso; National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bolaji Abdullahi; Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly (Senate), Senator Ita Enang; and other party Executives
