APC reconciliation move too late — rAPC

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kassim Afegbua, on Sunday spoke for the Reformed-All Progressives Congress (rAPC) that it is too late for President Muhammadu Buhari and the party to start making peace and reconciliation moves to stop their defection from the ruling APC.

“Just to make the point that it is too late in the day; the train has left the station. Leopards cannot change their spots no matter how much one tries to tame them.

“They are now pleading; ready to submit to all demands. Who does not know that won’t work because examples have shown that political agreements are often observed in the breach.”

According to him, no amount of intimidation and harassment can dissuade the group in its shared commitment to “rescue this democracy.”

Reacting to the formation of the faction some weeks ago, the party chairman Adams Oshiomhole said there was no faction in the APC and those who had left the party were inconsequential as the party and the president can win the 2019 election without them.

In the previous week, the party and the president has made several efforts at reconciliation from the meeting with the senate president, Bukola Saraki, to the rumoured meeting between the party and leaders of the rAPC, including Buba Galadima, on Sunday.

The party, which did not deny this rumour, confirmed it in its statement on Sunday while reacting to PDP’s statement that said the party and the president were jittery over the recent defection and coalition.

The party, explaining itself, however said what the president and the national chairman of the party were doing, was to persuade every aggrieved member not to leave the party, which is what responsible and sensible party leaders would do.

The rAPC said the Buhari government was not good at fufiling promises as it is yet to fulfill its promise to Nigerians in 2015.

“This government is never a promise keeper and some of the promises contained in the manifestos of the APC have been jettisoned.

“The President, who has held himself in the inner sanctuary of the Presidential Villa is all of a sudden, opening his doors to one meeting or the other all in the name of re-election,” the faction said.

The APC faction, in its statement, said despite the initial arrogance of party leaders, it is surprised the president and the party are now pleading with its leaders not to defect.

“We, members of the R-APC, find it very amusing that those who boasted that they won’t lose sleep over our altruistic action, have been hopping from door to door pleading with our members not to leave by dangling juicy carrots and promising them heaven and earth.

“Such level of double standard is the reason why the R-APC was birthed in the first place because the leadership is not one that keeps promises and it’s the reason why no one should take the APC seriously.”

The faction said the government tried all tricks, mounted all manner of pressures, raised all dubious allegations, just to nail the senate president.

The group, in its allegation, believes the Code of Conduct tribunal displayed magisterial arrogance in prosecuting the senate president, but the supreme court, in a landmark judgment gave Saraki a clean bill of health.

The R-APC however urged its members to remain steadfast and resolute in defending their rights and taking the appropriate action in defence of democracy as it was still maintaining its stand against the APC.

“This democracy must survive on ethical grounds and not on lawlessness and exclusion. It must provide a level playing field for all participants. Those who prevented some persons from visiting their states in the name of politics have suddenly realised that they need the services and support of those persons.