Some aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives indirectly demanded automatic return tickets to resolve the ongoing impasse within the party.
The aggrieved Reps told the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole and some members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at a meeting in Abuja yesterday that they were not satisfied with the way most of them were being treated.
A lawmaker who attended the meeting that held at the National Assembly said Oshiomhole had conceded that there were issues that needed to be resolved within the party in order to prevent members from leaving it.
However, the source said Oshiomhole did not give any commitment regarding the issue of automatic tickets but assured that he would do his best to address some of the issues raised.
“Some of us felt that since governors have hijacked the party at the states’ level by installing their choices as party leaders and shutting away most of us lawmakers, the only way to appeal to us is to allow us come back without hassle.
“It’s our belief that this would be the way to reconcile us with the governors. But there was no commitment whatsoever from the national chairman. It was only platitude here and there,” the lawmaker said.
But another lawmaker told newsmen that there was no direct mention of automatic tickets at the meeting, only that some members suggested that the party should reconcile lawmakers that had issues with their governors.
“We said the issue of high turnover rate should be addressed by reconciling members with governors, senators, and other party leaders so that we won’t have many first-term lawmakers. Lawmaking is all about experience and we can’t afford to have many newcomers,” the lawmaker said.
Yet another lawmaker said the meeting could not be said to be fruitful as Oshiomhole could not clearly say he could resolve the problems in the party, saying “his responses were not assuring.”
“From the look of things, he (Oshiomhole) can’t stop those that want to defect from doing so. People want to go to where they’ll be given automatic tickets to contest,” the lawmaker said.
After the meeting, Oshiomhole told journalists that “We had a very robust conversation. We expect total commitment to our party to deepen internal democracy to eliminate any attempts to impose anybody. We reassure everyone that we are committed to justice.”
“Much more important is to discuss issues as they affect all members of our party and members of the House of Reps, and issues affect the Executive and the Legislature,” he said.
Also, Speaker Yakubu Dogara expressed confidence in Oshiomhole, saying only justice and fairness could keep the party united.
He expressed optimism that “the party would be committed to undivided justice in their dealings as a panacea to the various challenges.”
