APC Congress: Tinubu, Ali Modu Sheriff On War Path Tinubu: Let’s Do Consensus Sheriff: No, election is it A major crack is tearing down the leadership of the All Progressive Congress, APC as former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Ahmed Bola Tinubu and former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff , recently engaged themselves in a heated argument over the Party’s congress. Sources told Pointblanknews that trouble started at the National Executive Council, NEC, meeting of the party in Abuja when Tinubu insisted that the APC should not have a congress. APC is currently running an interim leadership. They are yet to organize a congress to elect substantive leaders. Initially, it was agreed the interim officers would stay in office for six months, but events seem to have overtaken that arrangement. According to sources at that meeting, trouble started when Sheriff, a leader of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP which had fused to form the APC, mid way into proceedings, grabbed the microphone and pointedly reminded Tinubu that he cannot impose his opinion on the party. Tinubu had during the meeting according to a source, argued that instead of having a congress to elect leaders of the party, APC should rather elect its leaders by consensus. According to a source that attended the Party’s NEC meeting, Sheriff told Tinubu, “this is not ACN, you cannot come here and tell us how to run APC, this is my party, and I own this party,” Tinubu, according a source, replied Sheriff and warned him against any utterances that will insult the APC. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, General Mohammadu Buhari, Chief Bisi Akande and other top echelon of the APC who were at the NEC watched in shocked as Sheriff tongue-lashed Tinubu. The former Borno Governor was said to have rained insults on Tinubu who was urged not to respond by other chieftains of the party on the high table. A source said Sheriff is also angry with the APC leadership for not siding with him in his fight with Governor Kasim Shettima of Borno State. He had also accused Tinubu for siding with Shettima, even though Tinubu had made attempts to reconcile them at his Ikoyi Lagos home, few weeks ago. Sources told Pointblanknews that Sheriff has been having running battles with Tinubu over what he (sheriff) perceive as an attempt by the party not to accord him respect and address him as a National Leader of APC, an appendage enjoyed by the former Lagos Governor. It was further gathered that that while some leaders of the APC are not comfortable with Sheriff who is regarded as the founder and sponsor of Boko Haram, the Party hierarchy is not ready to let him go. The former Borno Governor is seen as a major political player in the North East. It was gathered that it took the intervention of General Buahri to calm both party leaders. Pointblanks.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 15:56:54 +0000