An extended tripartite committee of the All Progressives Congress on Tuesday met to discuss and resolve topical issues, particularly party primaries.
The meeting, held at the State House Banquet Hall, Abuja, was chaired by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN).
President Muhammadu Buhari had in August 2020 established a Tripartite Consultative Committee of the Executive, Legislature and Leadership of the APC with a view to fostering cordial and beneficial relationship among all.
The National Assembly, on Tuesday, passed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021.
Tuesday’s meeting had in addition to members of the tripartite committee representatives of APC governors and members of the National Assembly.
Governor Yayaha Bello Kogi State, who spoke with State House correspondents after the meeting, said the critical issues were resolved.
Bello said: “The takeaway is that the topical issues have been resolved.
“The legislature, the executive and our party.
“So it is a good resolution.
“I don’t think any legislator or anybody whatsoever as far as APC is concerned is afraid or has any reservation about any mode of primaries.
“The only concern is the implication of having only one option.
“In case an option fails, what happens?
“If for instance INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) sets a date for an election and say it is sacrosanct.
“For instance, today is September 9.
“If INEC is suppose to conduct election today and it says that day is sacrosanct, under no circumstance should it be shifted and a circumstance beyond your control arises, what do you do?
“It means there will be no election.
“Then, you are calling for anarchy.
“That is just the only concern of our people.
“And I think we are taking that head on and I think we are going to be good for whatever decision that will be taken at the end of the day.”
The governor said he belonged to the executive arm of the government and would not subscribe to meddling with the affairs of the legislature.
Bello said whatever decision the legislature had taken might have been taken in the best interest of the people.
He added: “In their own wisdom, they may have seen that there can’t be any situation that will warrant any other option and they may have come with this option of Direct Primaries.
“So, if in their own wisdom, that is the way they see it, so be it.
“Whenever legislature passes a law, and it is assented to by the chief executive, then we are bound it.
“Everybody will have to work to ensure it works.”
Bello said that the stakeholders would wait for the President’s action of on the bill.
According to him: “Whatever decision the President takes on bill will be binding on everybody.
“For now, this is the bill that was passed, yet to be signed into law, so we are waiting for the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari, to come.
“Once he assents to it, then we are going to make sure it works.
“If he does not, then it returns to the National Assembly for whatever action that can be taken and if it is returned to the National Assembly, it won’t be the first of such bill that will be returned back to the National Assembly.
“If it is assented to in the wisdom of the President, so be it.
“We will all work to ensure that it works.”
On his part, Senator Adamu Aliero (APC-Kebbi Central), said the members of the National Assembly made it clear that they stood on the legislation passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly.
He said the National Assembly was returning the party back to the people.
Aliero said: “That is conducting Direct Primaries.
“We believe that is the only way to ensure internal democracy within the APC.
“The conduct of the congresses right from the ward level up to the state level was being hijacked by the governors.
“We felt as a remedy to this, in order to save our party, it is better we adopt Direct Primaries.
“This is the only way the party can survive and face other parties that will contest with the APC.
“We have respect for the governors.
“We have respect for members of the executive and we have always done their bidding, but this time around, we want Direct Primaries to stay.
“No member of the National Assembly has said no to this.”
Aliero said he was happy that the conference committee report had been passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly: the Senate and House of Representatives.
He said the decision on Direct Primaries had gone very well with people at the grassroots.
He added: “They felt that it is the best thing that can happen to our democracy.
“From 1999 to date, the only decision that has been taken by the National Assembly that is as popular as this one was when the third term was annulled.
“This Direct Primaries is equivalent to what the 6th Assembly did on the annulment of the third term bid by President Olusegun Obasanjo.”
The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; his deputy, Ovie Omo-Agege; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; and some members of the National Assembly Caucus of the APC attended the meeting.
The Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State; Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; and Chairman of the APC Governors Forum, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, also attended the meeting.