LEADERSHIP- The All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the House of Representatives has hinted that President Muhammadu Buhari is the candidate of their choice for the presidential election.
This is as both chambers of the National Assembly are expected to reconvene plenary on Tuesday or Wednesday next week to deliberate and approve the N242 billion supplementary budget for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Deputy speaker of the House, Hon Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff, made this known yesterday after a meeting of the APC caucus at the National Assembly. Yussuff confirmed that the party has adopted President Buhari as the candidate of the party adding that their resolution would be approved at the forthcoming primary of the party.
“So, as at today, the party in principle has agreed that Buhari is going to be our candidate in 2019; I said in principle because when the date of the primary is now finally announced, we just want to go there to approve Buhari as a consensus candidate.
“As long as my colleagues and I standing before you this evening are members of APC, nobody can represent us and represent Buhari more than us; all of us are for Buhari. I as an individual started campaigning for Buhari even before we merged as far back as January 2014”, he said. The deputy speaker maintained that the caucus stands with the actions of the president. On the siege of National Assembly by the Department of State Services (DSS) Yussuff condemned the blockade even as he commended the decision of acting president, Yemi Osinbajo to sack the Director-General, DSS, Lawal Daura.“We are here today to let the public know that APC as a caucus condemns what happened a few days ago and also to commend the government for the action taken on the director general of the DSS”.He further affirmed that APC remains the majority party in the House and the Senate.
“We are all aware that since June 2015 the APC is in the majority in both Chambers, both in the House of Representatives and the Senate and by the grace of God, we are still enjoying that position.“One of the reasons you see us this afternoon is to tell the public once again that APC in the House of Representatives is still in the majority and as a caucus we are one and we are with our president, Buhari.
“Whatever is happening within the House of Representatives can only be represented by the APC caucus of the House. What we know is that in a system that is well fortified like we are fortified in terms of majority, in terms of the calibre of people that are members of APC and the House of Representatives, no other group can represent us better.
“So, what we know as the House of Representatives All Progressives Congress caucus is that no other group can represent our objectives than what we have come here to say”. Speaking on the meeting held between the leadership of the National Assembly and chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Yussuff revealed that the House would resume next Tuesday or Wednesday to treat the President’s virement request.
“We met yesterday (Wednesday) and have decided that we are likely to reconvene next Tuesday or Wednesday to deliberate on the supplementary budget for INEC”, he confirmed. Also speaking at the briefing, leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, stressed that the APC caucus was on the same page with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus saying no one was in support of the “rape on democracy”. “No member here will accept the rape of democracy. I remember in 2014, when a similar thing happened, our PDP colleagues were with us. How I wish they were here with us today. “Unfortunately, this thing has been given a party colouration. We want to appeal, particularly to our PDP colleagues they should not use this to malign the APC and the president. “It is a fact that the president was not aware of what happened. We are therefore calling for a thorough investigation into the matter. We appeal to Nigerians to be calm because a lot of rumours are being spread around”,
Gbajabiamila submitted.