There are indications that all is not well in the All Progressives Congress (APC), as many of the party chieftains are angry with President Muhammadu Buhari for retaining several appointees of his predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan. 

A couple of the APC chieftains who spoke on the issue, faulted the president’s retention of Jonathan’s men because of their status as members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The party stalwarts called for the sacking of the PDP members in government and canvassed for the appointment of APC members in their stead.

According to The Punch, they also alleged that President Buhari was not helping the APC with funds.

One of the APC chieftains who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they had not benefitted anything from Buhari since he took over power last year.

He said: ”President Buhari took over on May 29, 2015 and has not rewarded APC members. Most of the heads of departments and agencies are members of the PDP who worked for Jonathan. For example, Onyeka Onwenu is still the Director-General of the National Women Centre while Mike Omeri is still the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency.

”A former Special Adviser to Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ima Niboro, is still the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria while Mr. Sola Omole is still the Director-General of the Nigeria Television Authority.

”There are almost 100 ambassadorial positions that are supposed to have been filled but these people are still occupying the offices. We are not asking for security or sensitive positions but all these appointments I mentioned are not statutory but merely political.

”Our people who worked so hard and spent money on Buhari’s campaign are languishing. There are many competent people in the APC.”

Another APC chieftain who bared his mind on the issue,  said if Buhari continued this way, the party might not be able to retain power beyond 2019.

He alleged that most of the people that were being appointed by the president were either northerners or members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), his former party.

He also mentioned that 15 of the 36 individuals appointed as ministers by the president did not work for the party in the last elections and were not popular in their states, adding that many of them  were rejected by their state governors and state party chapters.

He said: ”In Bayelsa State, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Heineken Lokpobiri, was a member of the PDP during the elections and he campaigned for Jonathan. He defected to the APC in August and was appointed a minister the following month. And yet, the core APC members were abandoned. 

”The Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, from Gombe State, is not an APC member. The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, is not an APC member. The Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma, was a PDP member during the election and there are many more examples.”

Meanwhile, the national chairman of the APC, Chief John-Odigie Oyegun has stated that the party  is not apologetic over the anti-corruption war of the administration of Buhari.

Oyegun stated this on Monday, January 11, while addressing state house correspondents after a two-hour closed-door meeting withthe National Working Committee (NWC) of the party held with the president at the State House in Abuja.

Source: Naij