Some
aggrieved All Progressives Congress members of the House of Representatives are
still hopeful that the party may accommodate them somehow as the crisis over
loss of return tickets in 2019 rages.
Investigations
by the Media indicated that some members of the green chambers were considering
other options, including compensation in form of appointments.
Findings
showed that the compensation option appeared more appealing to some of the
members than the earlier threat to defect from the APC.
One National
Assembly source said, “They have been weighing all the available options.
“The window
to get something has not closed completely and if people can be accommodated
somehow, they may not leave. Discussions are still ongoing. Don’t forget that
this is not about National Assembly members alone.
“Many others
were seeking either to be governors, state House of Assembly members and so on.
There are several strata of party membership who were affected and they are
aggrieved.”
Owojela's
Blog learnt that after Buhari held meetings with the aggrieved party members
last week, some of them listened to his appeal not to defect and for them to
wait for the outcome of his intervention.
“I think for
some members, they have realised that it is a good idea to wait and see how
these issues will be resolved.
“Discussions
are still in progress and we hope that that promise will be fulfilled this time
round,” one lawmaker told the Media in Abuja.
One of the
affected members, Mr. Kehinde Odeneye, confirmed to the Media that his
colleagues were still exploring ways to resolve the dispute in their favour as
against defecting to another party in a hurry.
He said
members were weighing the available options because they came to the
realisation that there was no political party without internal crisis.
Odeneye, who
represents Ijebu Ode/Odogbolu/Ijebu North-East Federal Constituency of Ogun
State, stated that members had also thought about the possibility that the APC
could still accommodate their interests if it wins the general elections in
2019.
He said, “We
need to manage the crisis well. What we see is that if members can be pacified
with appointments, it will help.
“It is
possible that the APC will win in 2019. If that happens, there are
opportunities like appointments and other things. Even if there will be
defection, it will not be on a massive scale.”
No fewer
than 70 members had protested their loss of return tickets after the party’s
primaries to its appeal panel.
However, the
panel was said to have resolved only eight of the cases in favour of the petitioners,
leaving the majority 62 out of the equation.
On Wednesday
last week, a member from Kaduna State, Mr Musa Soba, resigned from the APC on
the floor of the House in Abuja to cap his protest against the alleged
injustice meted out to him.
But the
Majority Leader of the House and leader of the APC caucus, Mr Femi
Gbajabiamila, in a quick reaction, told SUNDAY PUNCH that there were “genuine”
and “not so genuine” cases, which would ultimately be resolved by the APC
Gbajabiamila
stated, “These things are normal during election cycles when people feel
short-changed. It has happened across all parties and it is how it is handled
that matters.
“Some have
genuine cases and some not so genuine. However, I know many of the members who
might have lost out during the primaries and I believe over time when the dust
settles their issues will be resolved one way or the other.
“I know them
to be fierce party loyalists, who will remain true to the party. Of that, I am
confident.”
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