The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has reconstituted a 12-person committee following the rejection of the Senate President Ahmad Lawan-led National Reconciliation Committee by the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki.

The party had earlier set up a 10-person reconciliatory committee in December, 2019, to appease the aggrieved members of the party nationwide and resolve the crises in the party.

However, Mr Obaseki, in his reaction faulted the development. He accused the Senate president and the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, of playing a prominent role in the crisis rocking the party in the state.

Mr Obaseki rejected the former arrangement and vowed not to heed to it until the party substituted those he complained about.

“We believe the committee does not only fall short of the most basic of integrity tests, but is also a disservice to genuine efforts to bring a lasting solution to the crisis rocking different chapters of the APC across the country,” the Edo official said.

“To the specifics, Senator Lawan and Ahmed Wase in the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, presided over the plenary sessions where the motions to take over the Edo State House of Assembly were deliberated. They are also parties in the court case, in which the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt ruled that the National Assembly cannot take over the functions of the Edo State Assembly,” the governor through his spokesperson, Crusoe Osagie, had said.

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Meanwhile, the unending political power tussle between Mr Obaseki and the party’s national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, continue to deepens.

New Committee

Bisi Akande, who was to serve as the vice chairman of the ‘rejected’ reconciliatory team, has been appointed as chairman to replace Mr Lawan in the reconstituted team.

In a statement signed by the APC spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Monday, he noted that “President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reviewed the membership of the party’s National Reconciliation Committee.”

Mr Wase still made the list of the reconstituted members despite the protest from Obaseki’s faction.

Other members include the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello; the Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola; Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi; Tanko Al-Makura (a senator); Kashim Shettima; Minister of State for Environment, Sharon Ikeazor; Aliko Koki; Khairat Abdulrazak-Gwadabe; Binta Garba and John Enoh (secretary).

Mr Issa-Onilu also said the reconstituted “committee is empowered to address grievances of party members across the country and resolve existing conflicts, all with a view to fostering oneness, strengthen the party for better governance and ensure unity of purpose within the party.”

The committee will be inaugurated on Tuesday February 11, 2020 at the APC National Secretariat by 3 p.m.