* 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
* Tambuwal’s spokesman dismisses hints of political
undertone to visits of the APC governors to their PDP counterparts
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).
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.
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 fertilizer plant in Sokoto.”
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