The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has expressed excitement over the emergence of a splinter faction within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The faction. which calls itself the Reformed APC, is led by Buba Galadima, a former secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), President Muhammadu Buhari’s former party.
The group is believed to have the backing of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and other top government officials.
“On behalf of the state executive council and entire members of Edo State PDP, I, Chief Dan Osi Orbih wish to congratulate Alhaji Buba Galadima and members of reformed APC for their courage, determination and forthrightness in admitting that APC has run a ‘rudderless, inept and incompetent government that has failed to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people’.
“Edo State PDP is pleased to hear the news of your decision to reform, refocus and give direction and leadership to APC,” the Chairman of PDP in Edo State, Dan Orbih said in a statement he issued on Wednesday.
Mr Orbih said they are gladdened to know that “democratic and progressives elements have come together to join forces with concerned Nigerians to rescue the country”.
He said of Mr Galadima, “As the authentic and recognised chairman of the Reformed APC, we wish you well as you attempt to steer the rudderless APC to safety.”
He added, “To our brother Adams Oshiomole, the factional chairman of APC, it is time to embrace the inevitable change in the leadership of your party and submit fully to the leadership of Alhaji Buba Galadima to save your party from disintegration.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Dogara, Thursday, weighed in on the crisis rocking the APC.
Mr Dogara said the crisis could only be resolved through the enthronement of justice and equity within the party.
“In every family, whether it is a nuclear, extended or an organisation there is bound to be problem and that is because we humans that are running those institutions are not perfect ourselves. So we don’t expect perfection from any quarters.
“Our only expectation is the issue of justice and justice is indivisible. What is justice to the executive should be justice to the legislature and it should be justice to the judiciary,” a statement sent to PREMIUM TIMES quoted Mr Dogara to have said.
On Thursday, the APC warned the splinter group not to regard itself as a faction of the party. The party said it was willing to go to court to sustain its unity.