*Insists closed-door meeting was ‘consultation’ not ‘reconciliation’
TRACKING___National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, late Thursday night ruled out the existence of internal wrangling in the party, saying there was no crisis in the party but some disagreements that could be discussed and moved on.
The former Governor of Lagos State, however, described what has been happening within the party as a seeming media crisis, saying politics without a media crisis could be less interesting.
Speaking after a closed-door meeting with the Yobe State Governor and Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni and Chairman of the Progressives Governor’s Forum, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu at his residence in Bourdillon Ikoyi, Tinubu said the thrust of the meeting, he described as a “consultation”, was to discuss developments in the party, especially the demise of the late former Oyo State Governor, Senator Isiaka Ajibola Ajimobi and other issues that appear like “pain” in the party which the APC will cure.
He said contrary to some insinuations in some quarters, the party does not have any crisis to warrant reconciliation, insisting that the visit of the Caretaker Committee was a “consultation” to move the party forward.
Tinubu said: “We have lost one of our brothers, Isiaka Ajumobi. We send our very sincere condolences to the family. We looked at our party APC which is the cure for pain; we applied the ingredients of APC to what appears to be pain in our party. We discussed the future of the party. Sincerely we respect and trust the character of the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee.”
Expressing confidence in the Yobe State Governor-led caretaker chairmanship, Tinbu said that he would support the chairman to ensure his success in the crusade of progressive governance, which, he said, the party stands for.
“We are to support him to succeed for the party and continue the crusade of the progressive governance,” he added.
When asked on the reconciliation efforts so far, Tinubu retorted: “Who was fighting who? The committee was on consultation. We have never been fighting. In politics, there can be disagreement, there are instances when you disagree but it doesn’t mean you cannot discuss over it and be a good example in leadership and politics.”
Asked to further speak on the differences sorted out in the meeting, he replied: “Differences according to you or your Bible or encyclopedia or your Quran. We have no differences to be sorted out. We just had a consultation and that consultation is how our party and the APC will continue to be a progressive party and politics without seeming media crisis will be less interesting, depending on your persistent question.
“But the question is: Are we committed to building this party and Nigeria? That is what we are all about. So don’t let that one consume you. We are steering the ship of our nation and the party in the right direction.”
Other chieftains of the party at the closed door meeting included: Secretary of the Caretaker Committee, Senator Akpan Udo-Edehe and APC Campaign Committee member for Edo Election, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
