Tunji Wusu –
The Progressives Governors’ Forum has spoken out over the resignations of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, a former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, and Senator Iyiola Omisore, a former national secretary, noting that both steps were voluntary.
This was said by the forum’s chairman and governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, to reporters after their private meeting in Abuja on Wednesday night.
The governors chosen on the APC platform at the time expressed regret for the recent increase in the price of gasoline from N550 to N617 per gallon and pledged to address the current hardship brought on by the skyrocketing prices of food, petroleum products, and everyday necessities in the near future.
The meeting began around 9.54 pm and finished at 11.12 pm. It took place at the Imo State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro.
Governors Umar Bago of Niger, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara, acting governor Lucky Ayedatiwa of Ondo State, Fr. Hyacinth Alia of Benue, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, and Dikko Radda of Katsina were also present.
After the meeting, Uzodinma spoke to the media and disputed that the party was in crisis, claiming that the APC governors supported the resignation of Adamu and Omisore.
“I am aware that some of you are interested in learning what is happening in our party and the nation. We discussed a wide range of topics pertaining to the APC, our party. You must be aware of the resignations of our party’s National Chairman and National Secretary. With all due respect for our national chairman and secretary, those are voluntary acts that have been taken.
“We applauded their intelligence in their actions, and they served us well in the party; we are pleased with their assistance, and the party is united and free of crises. They are joyful, and we are as well. We therefore endorse their activities and would continue to praise, honor, and recognize them for the contributions they have made to our wonderful party.
“The party’s leadership has also accepted their resignations. A new acting chairman and secretary have been appointed, he said.
Uzodinma went on to say that the governors’ forum is diligently working with President Bola Tinubu’s administration to solve the current suffering of Nigerians.
Additionally, he refuted claims made on social media that governors are silent because the Federation Account Allocation Committee will pay them more money when fuel prices rise.
“I made the decision to address the contentious social media posts about our upcoming FAAC. We are aware that eliminating the gasoline subsidy will result in an increase in the amount of money we receive at the Federation Allocation Account meeting. We are collaborating with the federal government to make sure that the FAAC’s revenues are used in a way that benefits the nation’s citizens, the labor movement, and us practitioners as well.
The nation’s economy would be safeguarded. We should therefore be happy about what has happened.
“The current suffering brought on by the rise in the cost of life and the price of both food and petroleum items is being addressed. The sub-national government collaborates with the federal government, and the National Executive Council will meet tomorrow (Thursday) to address this in more detail.
