APC still on Ekweremadu’s removal,want him out

Firstclass newsline learnt that the battle for the control of the
National Assembly may be long drawn as the leadership of the All
Progressives Congress on Monday insisted on removing the Deputy Senate
President, Ike Ekweremadu, of the minority Peoples Democratic Party.
One of our correspondents learnt on Monday that the ruling APC was
still miffed that Ekweremadu emerged as the deputy senate president
and had vowed never to allow "a senator from a minority party take
over the duties statutorily assigned for the majority party."
A leader of the APC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained
that Ekweremadu as deputy senate president would hamper the President
Muhammadu Buhari's administration.
The APC leader said, "As deputy senate leader, Ekweremadu is
automatically the Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution
Amendment. This is a sensitive position that, statutorily, should not
be held by the minority.
"Ekweremadu and his PDP co-travellers will hamper the policies of the
Buhari government. By the virtue of Senate rules, a member of the
minority is not supposed to be the deputy senate leader; so, he is
occupying the post illegally.
"We know the body language of some of these elements to
anti-corruption. Nigerians know the stance of Buhari on corruption and
insecurity. These elements occupying positions in the National
Assembly must be removed. Otherwise, this administration is dead on
arrival."
He said the President was in support of the candidacy of Senator Ahmed
Lawan for the senate presidency and had told Saraki and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, to support APC's
candidates for the principal posts.
"The President has refused to see Saraki and Dogara since they emerged
as senate president and speaker respectively. Both Saraki and Dogara
have done everything possible to see the President but he has shunned
them because he is not happy about their conduct. You can see that the
President has seen the Lawan group; this shows where his support
lies," the source added.
Meanwhile, barring any last minute changes, the National Executive
Committee meeting of the APC will now hold on Friday.
National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, confirmed
this to a source correspondents in a text message on Monday.
In response to an inquiry from a source as to whether the party's NEC
would meet in Abuja on Tuesday, Odigie-Oyegun replied, "Necessarily on
Friday."
Firstclass newsline had earlier learnt that some party leaders at
various levels had impressed it upon the party hierarchy to convene
the high level meeting in order to find an amicable solution to the
crisis threatening the party's survival.
Members of the 48-member NEC are due to arrive in Abuja on Thursday,
firstclass newsline learnt.
A national caucus meeting said to have been scheduled to hold on
Monday was cancelled.
One of our correspondents, who visited both the party's national
secretariat and the residence of Odigie-Oyegun, reported that there
was no sign that any meeting would hold at either of the venues as of
8.05pm on Monday.
The APC has been in crisis since the inauguration of the National
Assembly on June 9 following the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Dogara
as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives
respectively.
The party had announced Senator Ahmed Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as
its sole candidates for the two positions.
Matters were made worse when the Senate President ignored a party
directive that the remaining four leadership positions in both
chambers of the National Assembly should be conceded to those who
"lost out" during the inauguration.
Firstclassnewsline.net