APC Backs Lai Mohammed Statement to Saraki – Odigie-Oyegun

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has assured that the party is working tirelessly to resolve the crisis that has plagued it following the National Assembly leadership elections.

“The party has reached out to all interested parties, and when the National Assembly resumes next week, Nigerians will see one harmonious, happy APC family”, Mr. Oyegun said in a statement he issued in Abuja on Friday.

“We owe it to our party, our teeming members and supporters and indeed all Nigerians who reposed so much confidence in us by voting us into office to quickly put the unfortunate incidents of the recent past behind us and forge ahead”, he said.

In a related development, the APC Chairman has defended the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, who came under fire in his home state of Kwara for signing the statement that conveyed the party’s initial rejection of the election of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively last week Tuesday

Senate President Saraki hails from Kwara, where he was governor for eight years, and enjoys a cult following in the North-Central state.

In Mr. Mohammed’s defence, the governing party’s national chairman said the statement was issued with the knowledge and consent of the party, hence it would be wrong for anyone to make him a sacrificial lamb for carrying out his party responsibilities.

“The party is aware that its National Publicity Secretary has been grossly misunderstood by virtually everyone, especially in his state, just because he carried out his duty by signing the said statement by the party.

“At a personal risk and putting the party’s interest above his own, he issued that statement which reflected the position of the party at that particular time. The party is solidly behind him, and it will be wrong for anyone to interpret the statement as representing his personal opinion”, the APC Chairman said.