APC #dumps national conference Print Email Category: Lead storiesPublished on Wednesday, 23 October 2013 05:02Written by Abubakar Sadiq IsahHits: 49 Gov Ibrahim Gaidam of Yobe State (fourth left) with Osun Gov., Rauf Arebegsola (left), Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun( second left), Imo Gov., Chief Rochas Okorocha (third right) and Gov Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, during the executive meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Abuja yesterday.‘It’s not different from current constitutional amendment. The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) will not be participating in the national conference being organised by the federal government, it was announced in Abuja yesterday. This is the biggest setback so far suffered by the conference since President Goodluck Jonathan announced in his Independence Day broadcast earlier this month that he will convene it. Five of the APC governors who had earlier met at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge in Abuja were present at APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC), which lasted for several hours. Many party bigwigs attended the NEC meeting including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, leader of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN]. APC’s interim national publicity secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed addressed newsmen at the party secretariat in Abuja flanked by Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, Rochas Okorocha of Imo and Rauf Aregbesola of Osun. He said the party decided not to participate in the confab as nothing meaningful would come out of it. He said President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has lost focus or the credibility to convene such a conference. APC also said the federal government has lost control of the economy and security of the country while corruption has grown to inconceivable proportions. These flaws have robbed the federal government of the credibility to organize a real national conference, the APC spokesman said. He added: “What we see today is that this government has lost focus, it has lost credibility, it has lost control of the economy, security, corruption has attained uncontrollable proportions and at this point in time this government lacks the credibility to organise a real, meaningful national conference. “In any event, we see this thing as nothing but a diversion and what are we talking about a national conference for when even the President himself has said that the outcome of that conference would be subjected to the approval of the National Assembly, so, what we really have today is a constitutional amendment, not a national conference and we shall not be a party to that.” Asked if the party intends to boycott the confab, the APC spokesman said the issue of boycott does not even arise. “There is no question of boycotting. I have put it clear to you, this is diversionary. If it is a clear, meaningful national dialogue we will participate, but this isn’t. The President himself has said whatever is discussed there will be subjected to National Assembly. So, what you are having is constitutional amendment.” APC also wondered how the PDP-led federal government which cannot handle the country’s economy and welfare of students could be trusted with a sensitive issue as national conference, adding that the polity under the PDP government is on fire. The party restated its belief in dialogue and recalled how it has put in place a committee five months ago to collate its position on national conference before the pronouncement by President Jonathan. Earlier, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) rising from a separate meeting vowed to apply appropriate measures to ensure the federal government respects the constitutional rights of states and the Appropriation Act 2013. The communiqué issued at the end of its meeting was signed by Governors Kayode Fayemi [Ekiti], Rochas Okorocha [Imo], Rauf Aregbesola [Osun], Abiola Ajimobi [Oyo] and Ibrahim Gaidam [Yobe]. It condemned and described the recently held Delta Central senatorial by-election as a charade and called for adoption of appropriate measures to address the injustice against the people of the senatorial district. PGF also frowned at what it called the “continuous illegal and unjustifiable deductions as well as unwholesome manipulation” of the Federation Account and other state resources by the federal government. It called on INEC to immediately set machinery in motion for the conclusion of the Oguta State Assembly by-election in Imo State, saying it is inconceivable that INEC could not successfully conduct an election in just 5 polling booths. The forum said it will continue to support APC’s interim executive committee and urged all the party structures to do the same. It said it will remain committed to take all necessary initiatives to make life more abundant for Nigerians. #Daily Trust
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 04:56:41 +0000
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