To avert a major crisis over the leadership tussle for the 8th Assembly, Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have called an emergency meeting to seek ways of reuniting the aggrieved parties of both Chambers of the National Assembly ahead of the election for the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives tomorrow.
The meeting was called by the chairman of the APC governors’ Forum and Governor of Imo state, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
A source at the secretariat told Premium Times that the meeting would hold by 5p.m. Monday at the Imo state governors lodge in Asokoro Abuja.
The source said the meeting would discuss how to find a solution to the crisis generated by the election of a new Senate President and Speaker.
The APC had conducted a primaries election to choose candidates for the two positions on Saturday. Senator Ahmed Lawan from Yobe state and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila from Lagos statewere elected as Senate President and Speaker of the House respectively.
However, the two main challengers to the posts, Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, with their supporters, boycotted the election and rejected its outcome.
They also vowed to defy the party and seek for the mandate of their colleagues in an election billed for Tuesday.
The APC national secretary, Mai Mala Buni had on Sunday issued a statement urging Messrs. Saraki and Dogara to abide by the decision of the party.
The two contenders rejected the plea by the party leadership and vowed to challenge the party’s candidates on Tuesday.
In another part of the story, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has decided to wade into the matter after several failed attempts by the party leadership to persuade the aggrieved parties, Messrs Saraki and Dogara, to drop their ambitions
One of the lawmakers loyal to Mr. Dogara confirmed that the Vice President had invited all members to a meeting, even as he said they would boycott it.
“We received text messages from the party informing us of a meeting with the Vice President today; however, we see no difference between the Vice President and those trying to impose leaders on the House of Representatives, so we would not be attending,” he said.
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