The new national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has initiated talks with all aggrieved elements in the party towards truncating plans by their to quit the party, sources close to the leadership have confirmed.
Sources close to the new leadership under Adams Oshiomhole said tomorrow’s inaugural meeting of the new National Working Committee, NWC would be devoted towards fashioning a peace template to resolve the crisis in the party.
Even more, towards actualising his plans to consolidate the party in his South-South base, it was learnt that Oshiomhole may have perfected a deal to bring in a former governor of Delta State into the party.
However, before he could even present his peace plans, one of the founding fathers of the party and pioneer chairman of the party in Kaduna State, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed Monday defected from the party. Dr. Baba-Ahmed, a former secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and chief of staff to the president of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki was, however, quick to dissociate his defection from the political plans of Senator Saraki.
In addition, more than 55 members of new Peoples Democratic Party in the party are said to be holding a closed door with plans to defect to any political party, though the party of their choice is not yet known.
Sources close to the new leadership told our reporter that Oshiomhole had already initiated peace talks with many aggrieved elements in the party towards ensuring that none of them leave the party.
“NWC is meeting on Wednesday and the focus is how to reconcile aggrieved members across the states,” a source close to the new leadership said.
“The chairman is making that a priority and has plans to set up committees comprising eminent and experienced politicians to bring about peace even including with members of the nPDP.
“I can confidently tell you that the chairman has no plans of losing any member,” the normally dependable party source said noting that “chairman has met quietly with most of the aggrieved leaders.”
Even more, the source added that the new chairman is also determined to bring Delta State within the fold of the party.
“Oshiomhole’s plot to pick Delta State is not a joke,” the source said as he noted that a flurry of defections would soon be triggered in Delta State which shares boundary with the chairman’s political base in Edo State.
It was revealed that a former governor of Delta State who recently met with Oshiomhole in Abuja is expected to facilitate what the source said would be a political meltdown in Delta.
The planned defection Vanguard gathered yesterday is, however, raising silent murmurs within the Delta State chapter of the party.
Meanwhile, Oshiomhole’s determination not to lose any leader nonetheless, the pioneer chairman of the party in Kaduna State, Dr. Baba-Ahmed Monday formally left the party.
He said his decision to quit the ruling party had nothing to do with his principal, Saraki, but mainly on the poor performance of the party.
Baba-Ahmed, who was also chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, CPC in the state in a statement said:
“This statement is to inform the public of my resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC). I have sent a formal letter to this effect to Chairman of my ward.
“This has been a very difficult decision to leave a party I helped form and made my humble contributions to put to power. After three years, however, I need to say that APC has grossly under-performed, and has forfeited any claim to my loyalty and continued membership.
“I do not believe , in all conscience, that it should be trusted and encouraged to continue to govern our great country beyond 2019.
“I am not leaving to join another party. This is my decision , and mine alone. It has nothing to do with the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki. It is a decision take with due consultation with the Akida Group(APC), a group that has predated my appointment as Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate.
“I will remain active in politics as this is the main avenue for salvaging our nation from rising insecurity, poverty and bitter divisions.
“I am grateful for the opportunities I had to chair the Congress for Progressives Change and APC in Kaduna State and I wish all our leaders God’s guidance” he said.
