Abbas heads presidential panel on Bauchi APC reconciliation

President Bola Tinubu has named the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, as the Chairman of the reconciliation committee of the All Progressives Congress, Bauchi State chapter.

The presidential panel is charged with the task of addressing and resolving the internal conflict bedevilling the Bauchi State chapter of the ruling party.

According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Speaker, Musa Krishi, members of the committee include Governor Mai Buni of Yobe State; former House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara; the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abdullahi Gumel; the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Political), Alhaji Ibrahim Masari; and Alhaji Usman Gotomo. The Chief of Staff to the Speaker, Prof Jake Dan-Azumi, is the secretary to the committee.

The statement added that “Already, the Speaker Abbas-led Committee has swung into action, holding its first meeting late July in Abuja, where issues regarding how to face the assignment were thoroughly discussed.”

It also quoted the Speaker as stating that Tinubu carefully selected the members of the committee based on their integrity, track record, and capacity to act fairly and objectively.

He urged them to brace and “Meet the expectations by completing the assignment within one month as mandated, ahead of APC congresses.”

The statement further read, “After an exhaustive deliberation on the origin of the crisis, which dates back to the party’s 2015 primaries in the state, the meeting resolved to embark on a fact-finding assignment by meeting with the relevant stakeholders

Consequently, the meeting with the identified Bauchi APC major stakeholders was held on July 31 at the Yobe State Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, with Governor Mai Mala Buni chairing in the absence of Speaker Abbas, who is the committee chairman.

“Some of the stakeholders present at the meeting included two former governors of Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar, SAN, and Alhaji Isa Yuguda; Sen Surat Dada; Sen Salisu Matori; Minister of Health, Mohammed Ali Pate, among others.”

The committee is expected to submit its report in the coming weeks for further presidential intervention.