Aggrieved members: Buhari overrules APC NWC on court cases

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari overruled the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on its decision to punish disgruntled members who drag the party to court.

According to a statement issued Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), in Abuja on Monday, the president stressed that if anyone is displeased with the way and manner anything has been done and feels deprived of his/her rights, then such a person is at liberty to approach the courts for redress.

The president also advised aggrieved party member to take advantage of the reconciliation committees empanelled for the six geo-political zones by the APC and not a purported Presidential Committee on Reconciliation.

The statement said the president’s remark was a reaction to the position of the APC “which recently forbade members from dragging the party to court.

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The statement quoted the President as saying: “We can’t deliberately deny people of their rights. We agreed that party primaries should be conducted either through direct, indirect or consensus methods, and if anyone feels unjustly treated in the process, such a person can go to court.

“The court should always be the last resort for the dissatisfied. For the party to outlaw, the court process is not acceptable to me.”

The statement recalled that the APC, in a decision ascribed to the NWC had last week threatened to punish members across the country who had dragged the party to court over various issues.

According to a statement, “The Party intends to activate constitutional provisions to penalise such members as their action is capable of undermining the Party and hurt the Party’s interest.

“We hereby strongly advise such members to withdraw all court cases, while approaching the appropriate party organs with a view to resolving any outstanding disputes. In addition to this, aggrieved members are urged to take full advantage of the reconciliation committees the Party has put in place.

“APC members should understand that as a progressive party that operates on the principle of change, it is not a matter of choice to keep to the rules.”

In a related development, President Buhari has also advised members to work with the reconciliation committees empanelled for the six geo-political zones by the APC, and not a purported Presidential Committee on Reconciliation, stressing that the Party is the only body authorised to constitute such committees.