President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed never to sit down for discussion with the aggrieved members of the defunct new Peoples Democratic Party that joined forces to form the ruling All Progressives Congress.
A top government official disclosed this to journalists on the condition of anonymity on Monday. The source said Buhari had conveyed his position on the matter to state governors elected on the platform of the APC during a meeting he had with them recently.
The President was said to have insisted that state governors and the national leaders of the party should be able to resolve such issues. He said the issue was a party matter and he was not ready to sit with any faction.
“It is a party matter. I am not ready to sit down with any faction. If they have problems, they should go to the party. I will not interfere. “Governors as party leaders in the states should deal with all issues.
Where there is a need, the party leadership can come in. I will not get involved,” Buhari was quoted to have told the APC governors. He was, however, said to have agreed that the contact started by Vice -President Yemi Osinbajo should continue.
The source also added that opinions were divided on the issue among the governors that attended the meeting. “Some hard line governors asked the President to ignore the nPDP members while the majority felt the party and the VP should continue to talk to them” the source added.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, could not be reached on the telephone for comment as of the time of filing this report. Also President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki; a former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and Senator Shehu Sani who are part of the aggrieved APC members, could not be reached for comments on Monday night.
