APC: Giadom Happy With NWC Dissolution As Atiku Insists Buhari Didn’t Violate Constitution

Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu says President Muhammadu Buhari and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, didn’t violate the Nigerian constitution during last week’s All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Council (NEC) virtual meeting at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa.

Bagudu, who is the Governor of Kebbi State, explained that the forum of APC governors would work for their party’s victory in gubernatorial candidates in the forthcoming Edo and Ondo states governorship elections.

This was as the former acting National Chairman of the party expressed happiness over the dissolution of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), insisting that the action rescued the party from total collapse.

Speaking after formally handing over to the Caretaker/Extra-ordinary National Convention Planning Committee at the party’s secretariat on Monday, he said that what happened will however serve as a big lesson to all of them in the dissolved NWC.

His words, “I am grateful to God, President Muhammadu Buhari and leaders for rescuing our party from what would have fallen the party. Today, our party has been repositioned to greater height and I can assure that with the calibre of people so selected by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to pilot the leadership of this party into the National Convention.

“I feel indeed grateful and reassure that our party will remain strong and stronger and come out from the crisis which we were all in the past few months better than where before. I am more grateful to the members of our party and decision of NEC.

“All immediate past NWC should be able to learn from our mistakes, including my humble self, to join hand with the Caretaker Committee to see how they strengthen the party. The party is bigger than all of us. So, it is our collective responsibility as former members of NWC to work hand in hand with the committee to see to the success of the committee.”

Bagudu, who also spoke on Monday during an interaction with newsmen on national issues, in Birnin Kebbi, said, "The COVID-19 pandemic made the President adjust his itineraries and activities so that he can participate in activities and meetings across the country as part of his official duties and obligation to a political party in a virtual manner.

"We should all remember that, were the meeting to have held at APC headquarters, the president would have attended and that is not partisanship.

"The president has to attend the activities of his political party and he has to pay his dues for being a member of the political party; so when circumstances had dictated that he participated in the meeting in a virtual manner, and in a place set for him to participate as he had been participating in many virtual events, it is unfair to call it a violation of the constitution," Bagudu argued.

On the Attorney-General Malami’ s role in the swearing-in of the Chairman of Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mana Buni, the PGF Chairman said that the action of Malami had not violated any law.

“Nothing stops him as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to administer oath of office. As a law officer in the country, he stood to administer the oath to the chairman, and if the opposition party invites him for such action he will definitely discharge his duty as a SAN.

“Also, he has fully complied with the constitution of Nigeria because he belonged to a political party before becoming a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”