APC NWC divided over sanction for Saraki, Dogara

The All Progressives Congress is undecided on how to handle the Senate President, Senator
Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakuubu Dogara, for
disregarding its directive on the choice of principal officers of the National Assembly.
Saturday PUNCH learnt on Friday that the party’s
National Working Committee was undecided on whether or not Saraki and Dogara should be punished.
It was learnt that while some members believed that the party should handle the issue with care; others insisted that the Senate President and the
speaker should be punished.
The division among the NWC members had prevented the committee from taking a definite decision on the alleged anti-party activities by the Senate President and the Speaker.
Saraki and Dogara, had on June 9 defied the directive of the party by contesting the senate
presidency and the speakership.
The APC leaders were particularly angry because
the Peoples Democratic Party got the senate deputy presidency.
Saraki and his loyalists, among the APC senators, had boycotted a peace meeting the
party had with its senators on June 9.
The meeting was attended by the rival group, Senate Unity Forum, led by Senator Ahmed
Lawan, who was endorsed by the party as its sole candidate for the Senate President.
Saraki emerged as senate president unopposed
when the meeting was going on at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The Senate President again on Thursday refused to announce the party’s candidates for the upper chamber’s principal positions.
The APC, had in a letter to Saraki on Wednesday,
named Lawan as its choice for the Majority Leader; Prof. Sola Adeyeye as the Chief Whip;
George Akume as Deputy Majority Leader; and
Abu Ibrahim as Deputy Chief Whip.
The party also wrote Dogara and named a former Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila as
the Majority Leader; Ado Doguwa as the Deputy
House Leader; M.T. Monguno as the Chief Whip and Pally Iriase as the Deputy Chief Whip.
Saraki read letters from zonal caucuses tof the APC on Thursday.
The North-East caucus of the party nominated
Senator Ali Ndume as the Majority Leader; while
the North-West put forward, Bala Na’Allah as the
Deputy Majority Leader.
The South-South caucus adopted Francis
Alimikhena as the Deputy Chief.
In the House of Representatives, the refusal of
Dogara to read the party’s letter threw the lower
chamber into commotion.
The APC, had in a statement on Thursday by its
Secretary Mai Mala Buni, insisted on its position
and rejected the principal officers announced by
Saraki.
Investigations showed that those who advocated
a soft approach were of the view that if the issue was not handled with care, the PDP would cash in on the crisis and woo Saraki, Dogara and
other APC senators.
But it was learnt that those calling for a punitive
measure insisted that the party would set a bad precedent, if Saraki and his group were not punished.
A top member of the party, who confided in
Saturday PUNCH , said, “As of now, we have not reached a consensus on what is going on in the National Assembly.
“Some believe that taking a harsh stand will
send the affected lawmakers away, while others
are saying that they should not go unpunished.”
Another highly placed member of the party, who
confided in Saturday PUNCH out of fear of
retribution said, the party was keeping its next
line of action close to its chest.
“What I can tell you is that the party will meet
within the next few days and make its position
on all these issues known,” he said.
When contacted. the APC National Publicity
Secretary, Alahaji Lai Mohammed said, “No
comment.”
But some state chairmen of the APC on Friday
expressed sadness over the crisis in the National
Assembly.