Members canvass SGF post for defunct CPC

In a move that further showed the cracks in the walls of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the internal struggle for relevance among the political platforms that made up the ruling party, members of the defunct Congress of Progressive Change (CPC) have thrown their weight behind either Chief Tony Momoh or Buba Galadima to replace the embattled Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.

Lawal is currently on suspension over allegations of corruption in the disbursement of funds for improvement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) camps in the Boko Haram-devastated Northeast axis of Nigeria. Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is heading a presidential committee to investigate Lawal’s involvement.

A forum of CPC members from the southern states, in a statement signed by its national coordinator, Ikonomwan Francis, yesterday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to remove Lawal for alleged involvement in corrupt practices and replace him with either Momoh or Galadima, who were members of the CPC.

The statement read in part: “We core members of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in the seventeen southern states in Nigeria under the auspices of Southern Mandate wish to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, sack the suspended SGF Babachir Lawal.”

On the need to appoint either Momoh or Galadima, the group said, “These are men who led the defunct CPC to give the now President Mohammadu Buhari over 12 millions votes in 2011. This is the only way our President can thank the core members of the defunct CPC. The truth remains that the other political parties that merged with CPC contributed only 2.8 millions votes in 2015.

“As far as we of the Southern Mandate are concerned, they added little or no value in the emergency of President Buhari but suffice to mention here that, they who are strangers in Buhari’s project have hijacked the entire process and are feeding fat, while the people that made Buhari a mass movement and a political hurricane, are now feeding like an ant in a project we laid our lives for.

“We wish to reiterate our earlier position that the key appointments Mr. President has made so far are occupied by strangers who do not share the same vision and mission of President Buhari for a better Nigeria. For instance the suspend SGF Babachir Lawal, came from the blues to occupy the all-important office of the SGF.

“Prince Tony Momoh and Buba Galadima are men of impeccable character who are co-vision bearer with President Buhari. These men made a very strong foundation for President Buhari. We are aware that Engr. Galadima turned down three major juicy appointments from former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

“We also have it on record that former President Goodluck Jonathan offered him FCT ministerial appointment and a cash offer of N2 billion to abandon Buhari’s project but he blatantly refused the offer. On the other hand Prince Momoh is Buhari personified. It is mind blowing that these men are not in Buhari’s cabinet today.”