The All Progressives Congress has said it will not participate in the planned national dialogue announced by President Goodluck Jonathan on October 1.

It hinged its decision on the fact that the “dialogue was nothing but a mere constitutional amendment process’’ which is already being carried out by the National Assembly.

This decision was taken at the party’s National Executive Committee meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

It coincided with the Progressive Governors’ Forum’s threat to use all constitutional means, including legal action, to compel the Federal Government to pay all shortfalls in allocations to the 36 states of the federation.

Some of the governors elected on the platform of the party were also at the meeting, which was also attended by a former governor of Lagos State, Aswiaju Bola Tinubu.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the planned conference as diversionary.

Besides, he said the Federal Government lacked credibility to organise such a conference.

Mohammed said, “What we see today is that this government has lost focus; it has lost credibility, it has lost control of the economy.

Insecurity and corruption have attained an uncontrollable proportion and at this point in time, this government lacks the credibility to organise a meaningful national conference.

“In any event, we see this thing as nothing but a diversion and what are we talking about a national conference for when even the President(Dr. Goodluck Jonathan) himself has said the outcome of the conference would be subjected to the approval of the National Assembly?

“So, what we really have to do is a constitutional amendment, not a national conference and we shall not be a party to that.”

Asked to be categorical whether the party was going to boycott the conference, Mohammed said, “There is no issue of boycotting. I have put it clear to you: this is diversionary.

“If it is a clear or meaningful national dialogue, we will participate, but this isn’t. The President himself has said whatever is discussed will be subjected to National Assembly. So, what you are having is a constitutional amendment.”

Tinubu, who had spoken against the conference when he returned from a medical trip abroad recently, did not speak with journalists after the meeting.

He simply walked away when Mohammed was speaking with journalists.

Also on Tuesday, the PGF rose from a short meeting in Abuja with a threat to employ all constitutional means, including going to court, if the Federal Government failed to pay up all outstanding allocations to the states.

One of the governors said, “When we mentioned constitutional means, it also means going to court if need be.”

Members of the forum had at the meeting discussed several issues, including the dwindling federal allocation to the states.

The meeting was attended by Governors Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Rauf Aregbesola (Osun); Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo); Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe); and Rochas Okorocha(Imo). The governor of Borno State Kashim Shettima was represented by his deputy, Zannah Mustapha and The governors of Lagos, Edo, Zamfara, Ogun and Nasarawa states, did not send representatives.

The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, was said to be attending an event in Lagos where his Lagos State counterpart, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), was also said to be present.

The other governors were said to have travelled out of the country.

The meeting, which was held at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge located at Asokoro, Abuja was brief.

Fayemi, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said the time had come for the governors to employ all constitutional means to deal with the several deductions from the states’ monthly allocations.

He added that they were no longer comfortable with the way the Federal Government was treating them on the matter.

Fayemi said, “We discussed issues that are pertinent to national finance, particularly the Federation Account Allocation Committee work.

“We have come to a critical juncture as far as FAAC discussions have gone over the last three months.

“You aren’t unaware of what has been going on; you are also aware of what our finance commissioners have had to do in removing themselves from the meetings of FAAC and we continue to insist that we condemn the illegal and unconstitutional deductions.

“Averagely, all our states lost 40 per cent of their normal earnings in the last two to three months from the FAAC and we believe this isn’t defensible in any way.”

He said that the benchmark that the National Assembly agreed for 2013 budget was still very realistic because there was no time from January till now that oil has sold for anything less than $105 per barrel.

Fayemi said that even at some particular time, oil sold for $110 per barrel.

“So, there is still no basis for the kind of incomplete allocations to the states in this regard and we have decided to take appropriate constitutional measures in order to tackle this flagrant abuse of the Constitution of Nigeria and the Appropriation Act, particularly of the National Assembly,” he added.

Also speaking , Okorocha said the APC governors condemned the conduct of the Delta Central Senatorial election.

He claimed that its outcome might be a prelude to the conduct of the 2015 general election.

The governor added that the meeting demanded a fresh election in Oguta Federal Constituency in Imo State, since the previous one was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

He said that for the past two years, the people of the zone had been denied representation by INEC.

Okorocha said, “We are very much concerned about the danger posed by the recent election in Delta State and we condemn in this respect, that that wasn’t an election at all.

“The reports that we have received so far show that it was mere manipulation of the entire electoral process and we are worried that this poses a great danger to the 2015 elections.

“From what we are seeing, we must stand up to those things now or Nigerians might pay a bigger price for it in 2015.”


www.punchng.com/news/apc-to-boycott-national-dialogue

Pretenders never change. Now they don't want a conference but a constitutional amendment. Give them a constitutional amendment, they will throw up another name.

Their attendance is irrelevant. Attendance should be on the basis of tribe or even geopolitical regions. Current political parties are part of the problem and must not attend, else they will corrupt and mess up the whole process.

They are not even needed.

Goodluck Jonathan has what he wants! He only implement this National Dialogue just to make people forget about thinz and keep talking about that

Tinubu- We need a national conference pls Jonathan be fast about it and take it as a matter of urgency. Jonathan- Ok, noted sir, we truly need it and i'm doing that already sir. Tinubu- No no no no, it's a mirage and i'm suspecting you, seems you have a hidden agenda. Confused set of people.

APC - self centred & desperate politicians.

Progressives indeed.
They don't think before they take actions.

atlwireles: Pretenders never change. Now they don't want a conference but a constitutional amendment. Give them a constitutional amendment, they will throw up another name.

You read but not comprehend of what use is a conference which outcome is subject to ratification of selfish minority in power?
Ps: no offense intended.

They are not needed in that conference..no political party should set foot in the proposed conference.Pls Femi okoronmu and his committee should take note..

APC bunch of self centered politicians whose only interest is to get into Aso rock by hook or crook.

Its only time will tell... Me, am not telling...

awodman: They are not needed in that conference..no political party should set foot in the proposed conference.Pls Femi okoronmu and his committee should take note..

APC bunch of self centered politicians whose only interest is to get into Aso rock by hook or crook.

All politicians are self-centered. If you ask many Nigerians if 'the will want the outcome/recommendations of the conference be subject to debate and approval of the National Assembly. The resounding answer will be a 'No'. Why should we subject the resolution/recommendations of the conference to those, whose primary duty it is to represent us and make beneficial laws but have failed us, those whose collective greed and misrule are the reasons why Nigeria is teetering on the abyss of near bankruptcy?

What Nigerians want is a Conference, whose decisions, can in the final analysis only be ratified by a popular referendum. Yes, the NA will make the enabling law to kick start the conference but the outcome should be subject to the approval of Nigerians, where sovereignty truly resides. It means that its powers are subject only to the outcome of a popular free and fair referendum. Anything aside from that will be a 'CON'ference(a political jamboree and an economic bazaar).

The resolution/recommendations of the conference, public hearings etc subject to a National Assembly debate and approval is the same as 'constitutional amendment'. You folks should stop raising the expectations of the people, and at the end dash such expectations.

We must hold APCs feet to the fire.

The people of this country have repeatedly demanded for SNC and is now officially granted.

We understand that its process is not the best and moreover its mandate is also wrong but as a policy, the decision to move forward on the SNC is a good one. There are two things APC can do but what it must not do is kill the debate and realization of this policy.

1. APC need to publish its official proposal for how the SNC should be structured and implemented.

2. We the people of Nigeria, are calling on APC to collaborate with PDP and sort through the kinks and both parties, ruling and opposition, must come up with an amicable interest in how to press forward and conduct a SNC.

The people own SNC, not PDP, not APC and definitely not NASS.

APC need to tread carefully so it does not on account of politicising the SNC loose its popularity and favor with the people.

OBJ had organized a Political Reform Conference and it did not work, this one is not political so political parties like PDP and APC are not welcome, it is purely for ethnic nationalities. If Ohaneze or Afenifere is saying this, then I will be concerned.
.
APC abeg park well and siddon for gutter we no wan see una for this talk-talk.

Let`s re-arrange Nigeria so that no one man will hijack a state like Lagos the way Jagaban has done.

I think APC reserves the right not to be part of the conference. However, the conference MUST go on!

Hahahhaha APC and dere "I must talk" strategy. Well d only thing Nigerians n APC has in common concerning dis SNC is dat the NASS shuld not be involved. Everything else APC u on ur OWN oh.

APC should not only boycott a conference designed to ease tension and bring back Nigeria from the brink they should boycott Nigeria, was it not an APC government official that was weeping and whining to high heavens about the domineering presence of igbos in lagos preferring to waste volumes of newspaper pages in their hypocritical write ups about the ownership of lagos and threatening to deport more igbos, seize igbo property, close down Ladipo, Alaba and otigba markets while apologising on one hand about the deportations .

Is this what opposition is all about criticism, blames and propaganda while dodging the avenue to discuss and proffer solutions to the country's ailments

Dudu_Negro: We must hold APCs feet to the fire.

The people of this country have repeatedly demanded for SNC and is now officially granted.

We understand that its process is not the best and moreover its mandate is also wrong but as a policy, the decision to move forward on the SNC is a good one. There are two things APC can do but what it must not do is kill the debate and realization of this policy.

1. APC need to publish its official proposal for how the SNC should be structured and implemented.

2. We the people of Nigeria, are calling on APC to collaborate with PDP and sort through the kinks and both parties, ruling and opposition, must come up with an amicable interest in how to press forward and conduct a SNC.

The people own SNC, not PDP, not APC and definitely not NASS.

APC need to tread carefully so it does not on account of politicising the SNC loose its popularity and favor with the people.

What is being proposed is a national conference and not a 'sovereign' national conference. A conference with limited powers and limited autonomy. Isn't there a need for a community/ethnic conference before a national conference?

I'VE NEVER TAKEN APC SERIOUSLY, WHY? B/COS APC IS FULL OF RUBBISH! I KEEP SAYING IT, APC IS NOT HELPING THIS COUNTRY IN ANYWAY, OR CAN SOMEONE PROVE ME WRONG? WITHOUT MINCING WORDS, APC IS A SABOTEUR TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF THIS COUNTRY!

We're not surprised, they ARE the 'opposition'. That being said, why do these people like dragging us back? The National Dialogue may have short-comings, but let's start small, if it fails, then the SNC will have a stronger case in future

Since they dont want anything good for this nation let them stay out.
They have never for once given support to this administration.

All because of the 2015 general Erecti0ns

israel007: [size=20pt]THREE EASY STEPS TO OPT OUT:


1. GET A BUS

2. GRAB A MAP

3. GO TO HELL[/size]

Keep quite my friend

israel007: [size=20pt]THREE EASY STEPS TO OPT OUT:


1. GET A BUS

2. GRAB A MAP

3. GO TO HELL[/size]

Like you need a map and a bus to get to hell

boycott ke, why not girlcott

Nuvally:

Keep quite my friend

What did he do to keep quiet, because he told APC to go to hell.

The last time I checked, APC is a political party and not a state or tribe in Nigeria. The only problem I have with the national confab is for the decisions to be refered back to the same National assembly that is looting our economy

Onlytruth: Their attendance is irrelevant. Attendance should be on the basis of tribe or even geopolitical regions. Current political parties are part of the problem and must not attend, else they will corrupt and mess up the whole process.

And the PDP lead government staging an NC instead of SNC is not a problem to you?

Is APC even relevant in the proposed dialogue? This is not an inter-party affair but a regional affair. I am tired of these desperadoes who want to assume power at all cost.