The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised a special committee to reconcile the warring factions of the party in Kogi State.
The disagreement between Governor Yahaya Bello and Senator Dino Melaye has polarized the party in the State. The committee is basically charged with the task of resolving the feud between two political heavyweights, whose respective camps are at loggerheads with one another in the state.
National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, inaugurated a seven-member reconciliation committee to end the feud.
He observed that the situation in Kogi State is unique, noting that what triggered the event in the state was tragic in their nature.
The chairman added that the party leadership is bending backwards because it understands the feelings of the people and what they have been through.
“We understand the work that you have put in to get the APC elected; we understand also that God who disposes of power brought somebody at the last minute to be the beneficiary of all the work and labour that everybody obviously had put in.
“Fortunately, we had a fact-finding committee that has done a lot of the basic work and submitted a report, which will be made available to the reconciliation committee.
“We know the principal parties in the various groups in Kogi; we know what their grievances are.
“So the issue now is really to call just the principal groups and say look, this has to stop; how do we go about it?
“The governor, of course, will be there to say his piece and give you all the assistance necessary to make your task successful.
“We want peace in Kogi state. Events there have been very very unusual. But like I said, given the emotive nature of the event that led to it, we have decided to stretch the opportunities for reaching peace,” he said.
According to a statement issued by the APC National Publicity Secretary Malam Bolaji Abudullahi, the committee is chaired by Gen. Idris Garba, while the party’s Deputy National Secretary, Mr. Victor Giadom would be its Secretary.
Other members of the committee are: Chief Don Etiebet; Rt. Hon. Patricia Etteh; Group. Capt. Rufai Garba; Alhaji Umar Lawan Kareto and Group. Capt. Joe Orji.
Odigie-Oyegun thanked members for agreeing to serve the party on the committee, adding that the party´s leadership wants peace and settlement in its Kogi chapter.
The chairman of the committee thanked the party for the opportunity to serve and assured the party that the committee would bring peace and settlement to the party in Kogi State.
“There is no doubt that it is an onerous task, but we are committed people and believe in bringing our experiences to bear on the issue, we will be able to resolve the issue as directed by our great party,” he said.
- NAN