The Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has disowned the majority leadership positions announced by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, saying the party has not officially been communicated by both presiding officers.
National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu made the declaration on Tuesday at a meeting with governors of the party.
The development came as governors of the party pledged their loyalty to the party leadership.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors' Forum PGF, Senator Hope Uzodinma of Imo state disclosed this in his opening remarks at the meeting.
He said; "I think that the party has a responsibility, working with progressive governors, speaking for all progressive minds in the country, to support the policies and programmes of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president.
"While we are doing that, we are also ready to market these policies to critical stakeholders, the organized labour, the political class, the private sector, into understanding the benefits of certain decisions that have been taken of late by the government.
"We are loyal to the party completely, and we assure the leadership of the party that all the governors here are constructive partners to the job of building our party and are willing to work with the party and submit to the ideas and norms of the party.
"We don't have another party. This party is the largest party in black and white Africa, and we will have to run with it".
Akpabio, Abbas on their own
Addressing the governors, it is the party's responsibility to communicate such decisions to the assembly leadership, saying the NWC under him is not about to break away from tradition.
He said; "The essence of today's invitation is simply to rub kinds with you as a matter of courtesy.
"You will get an update on the National Assembly, sharing of powers particularly the leadership of the chambers. The election of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives have been determined and they have now assumed their responsibilities.
"The remaining offices at the two chambers, is yet to be done. I had a courtesy call on Saturday from the President of the Senate and his Deputy. The following day which was Sunday, I received the visit by the Speaker and his Deputy Speaker coming to me for Sallah homage.
"But, I am just hearing rumours now from the online media that there have been some announcements in the Senate and House of Representatives. The national headquarters of the party or the NWC has not given any such information or communicated about the choice of the remaining offices and until we formally resolve and communicate to them in writing which is the normal practice as had been done before we came here -it is not our intention to break away from tradition - so whatever announcement is done either by the President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker, is not from this secretariat.
"We are going to formally inform you that we are going to have a caucus. For quite some time, there has been no caucus in place. The caucus has been reconstituted according to the constitution of APC and we will be discussing that with you. As governors, you know your states more than we know it. Even if we come from the same state, the leadership is in you as governors. We will hear your advice and then see how we can ensure that we are in complete compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the party.
"We hope that we will be receiving some reports from the Progressive Governors Forum Chairman or his representative, to get to know about your thinking, your feelings on what to do to improve the chances of the party and therefore reduce the problems and bickerings that we have been hearing from time to time.
"Along with the caucus, the National Advisory Council, we will give you the list that has been prepared and make sure that every state is represented and we will give you the knowledge of it before the date so that if there is any advice, you will give us before the date. You will also be given the the details of the audit of accounts from April 2022 to April 2023. The Presidential Campaign Council PCC account has been audited and it has been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC by the party".
Akpabio had on Tuesday during plenary announced Senator Opeyemi Bamidele from Ekiti State as Senate Leader and Senator Dave Umahi from Ebonyi State as Deputy Senate Leader. He also named Senator Ali Ndume from Borno State as Chief Whip and Senator Lola Ashiru from Kwara State as Deputy Chief Whip.
At the House of Representatives, Speaker Abbas had announced Professor Julius Ihonvbere as Majority Leader.
Speaking after the meeting, Uzodinma said the NWC is working on having an audited account that will be presented to the National Caucus.
"It was just mention, it has not been presented", he stated.
On the Adamu's position on the principal officers of the National Assembly, Uzodinma said; "Chairman never said that they are on their own. The National Assembly leadership belongs to our great party and they are members of our party and they enjoy our support.
"If there is any way that there is a communication gap anywhere, we will make it up and we have our internal mechanism of resolving such things. The National Assembly leadership enjoys the support of Progressive Governors' Forum and that of our party. We don't have any problem at all".
Some of the governors at the meeting were those of Imo, Kogi, Ekiti, Niger, Ebonyi, Benue, Jigawa and several others.
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