Mega party: Presidency, APC thrown into confusion as 3 APC governors visit Wike

Mega party: Presidency, APC thrown into confusion as 3 APC governors visit Wike

- There is unease in the APC over the visit of some governors of the party to members of the opposition

- The visits are causing suspicion following talks of a new party ahead of the next general elections

- However, Alhaji Imam Imam, the spokesperson to Governor Tambuwal has dismissed suggestions that the visits of the APC governors to their PDP counterparts had political undertone

There is disquiet in the APC over some governors’ visits to Governor Nyesom Wike and Akwa Ibom state governor, Udom Emmanuel, who are of the PDP.

Some presidency officials are said to be disturbed over the visit of some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike and Akwa Ibom state governor, Udom Emmanuel, who are of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

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The Nation reports that the APC governors, who visited their PDP counterpart, are: Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto) and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi).

The governors also jointly hosted Wike in Sokoto, an action that sent disquiet among APC members who are interpreting the visits as a major political plan was on.

Some APC leaders were even more surprised that that Tambuwal and Bagudu visited Wike before the last legislative election rerun in Rivers state, spending a day with him.

The two governors teamed up with Yari, who is also the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), to spend Christmas in Akwa Ibom.

Governor Wike also reciprocated the visits last weekend when he went to Sokoto where he said at the Sultan’s palace that Niger Delta would not be part of any move to dismember Nigeria.

A source, who asked not to be named, spoke of the unease in the APC on the shuttles by Tambuwal and others to Rivers and Akwa Ibom states

He said: “Some of our leaders are uncomfortable with snippets from these trips."

“The timing of the first visit to Rivers State made some of our leaders to be suspicious. It was like paying a solidarity visit to Wike ahead of the Rivers State rerun elections.

“Some leaders have been suspecting that the three governors might be the arrowheads of a political realignment in the country.”

According to reports, the visits are causing suspicion because of the talks of a new party ahead of the next general elections, though, the direction and planners of the mega party remain unknown.

The source said a minister protested to the APC leadership in the northwest over the trips on Tuesday, December 3.

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The source quoted the angry minister as saying: We heard what you people are planning.”

A party leader said: “Some of us have been angry with these governors because our members are going through hell in these states.

“There is nothing wrong in exchanging visits or comparing notes, but we saw the trips as missteps at a time we are seeking redress or justice for our members in the affected states.

“Of what use is an APC governor’s romance with a PDP governor in whose state APC members were attacked or where policemen were killed?”

However, Alhaji Imam Imam, the special adviser on media and publicity to the Governor Tambuwal has dismissed suggestions that the visits were for political reesons.

He said: “There is nothing political at all with all these shuttles. The commitment of the governor of Sokoto State to APC is not in doubt at all. Tambuwal is fully committed to APC. Our commitment to the President, the leadership of the party and all APC structures is unshaken and undiluted.

“We work within the confines of APC. Nobody should link us with 2019. During political season, we will engage in politicking. But this is a period of governance; we are now focused on governance.”

“Tambuwal believes in inter-state trade. So long as states cooperate among themselves, the potential for the nation’s economic growth is large. When we visited Rivers, we had discussion on youth empowerment and sports; when we visited Aba, Abia State, the governor sold the idea of marketing Sokoto leather to them. When we went to Kano for inspection of projects, we interacted with some businessmen and one of them is now establishing a fertiliser plant in Sokoto.”

Meanwhile, the Rivers state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has vowed to unseat Senator Magnus Abe.

According to Daily Post, the PDP said Magnus Abe of the All Progressives Congress (APC), will be sacked by an election tribunal.

Rivers state chairman of the PDP, Felix Obuah, in a statement released on Tuesday, claimed that investigations showed that security agencies massively rigged the polls in Abe’s favour.