Buhari Tells APC Governors: We Must Not Lose Edo to the Opposition

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to work towards reclaiming Edo State in the September 2020 governorship election and retaining Ondo State for the ruling party.

Buhari reportedly gave the directive when members of the Progressive Governors Forum, led by Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, visited him at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Also at the meeting was Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, who had been appointed Chairman of the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee following the dissolution of the party’s National Working Committee.

According to sources familiar with the meeting, Buhari urged the governors to mobilise effectively ahead of the Edo election and ensure that the state did not remain under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The President was also said to have stressed the importance of retaining Ondo State, where the APC was preparing for another governorship contest.

The appeal came after Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki left the APC for the PDP following a prolonged political dispute with former APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole.

The disagreement eventually culminated in Obaseki’s disqualification from participating in the APC governorship primary.

Obaseki subsequently joined the PDP, received a waiver to contest its primary and emerged as the party’s governorship candidate for the September 19 election.

His main opponent was Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who emerged as the APC candidate after previously contesting against Obaseki on the PDP platform in the 2016 governorship election.

Buhari was reportedly concerned that internal disagreements within the APC had contributed to the departure of a sitting governor.

He consequently urged party members to place loyalty to the APC above allegiance to individual political leaders.

Other governors at the meeting included Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State.

The meeting came shortly after an emergency session of the APC National Executive Committee, where major changes were made to the party’s leadership structure.

At that meeting, Buhari warned that persistent internal disputes, court cases and competing claims to leadership positions could lead to the party’s disintegration.

He said the APC was beginning to undermine itself through prolonged internal wrangling and urged members to resolve their disagreements through internal reconciliation rather than litigation.

The President proposed the dissolution of the National Working Committee, the withdrawal of pending court cases involving party members and the creation of a caretaker committee to organise a national convention.

The NEC subsequently adopted the proposals and appointed Buni as caretaker chairman, with Senator John Akpanudoedehe serving as caretaker national secretary.

Buhari said the changes were necessary to restore stability and unity to the ruling party ahead of the Edo and Ondo governorship elections.

He warned that the APC risked losing the gains it had made if members allowed personal rivalries and leadership disputes to overshadow the party’s broader political objectives.

The President therefore urged party leaders to close ranks, rebuild internal cohesion and concentrate on winning the forthcoming elections.