The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Reconciliation Committee has so far received 35 petitions from aggrieved members across the country.

Chairman of the nine-member committee, Sen. Abudulahi Adamu, said this when he spoke with newsmen yesterday in Abuja.

“At this point in time, we have something in the region of plus or minus 35 petitions, and as you do know, you may wish to ponder on the fact that the petitions cannot have same weight.

“So, where we believe that the problems are deep rooted, we intend to go and unravel what the problems are, and how best we can proffer solutions to them and make recommendations to the party,” he said.

He added that the committee had analised the petitions received, saying that it was developing a timeline for meeting the petitioners and other people involved.

This, the former Nasarawa State governor said, was the position of the committee.

He expressed hope that the committee would be able to conclude its assignment and report to the party’s leadership before the National Convention.

He, however, expressed optimism that the committee would deliver on its mandate before February 2022.

He explained that the committee at its inauguration, developed a road map on how it would approach its assignment and was working on that to achieve its mandate.

“And one of the key activities we lined up was to give every person who is involved with any petition as a stakeholder in the party, an opportunity to be hard and have a fair hearing.

“To do so, we advertised in six national dailies, including the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) and as of last week Friday, quite a number of petitions have been received, some are still in the process of bringing their petitions.

“And we have decided to be lebral enough as long as it doesn’t challenge our abilities to cope with the current situation where there is some definitive positions as to when the party’s national convention will take place.

“It is hoped that we will complete our assignment and submit the reports for the party to take whatever position it wants to take and make recommendations before the conventions.

“The hope we are nursing is that by the time we go for the national convention, we will go as a party, with little or no problems,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Mai Mala Buni, Chairman APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee had said the party’s national reconciliation committee was critical to its planned national convention.

Buni also the governor of Yobe said the outcome of the committe would determine the conduct of the party’s national convention.

The APC National Reconciliation Committee was constituted on Oct. 11, 2021 to reconcile members of the party, especially those who were aggrieved by the outcome of the party’s Congresses from its various state chapters.

The committee was also to reconcile, harmonise, integrate and unite members of the party and resolve real or seeming differences and to cement all cracks within the party ahead of its national convention.

At its inauguration, Buni said the committee was expected to conduct appropriate engagement between identified groups in each state where there were disputes.

This, he said, should be done to bring about genuine reconciliation and establishing lasting peace and unity in the party to make it a united front.

The committee which has Mr Moses Adeyemo as its secretary has former Gov. George Akume, of Benue, former Gov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu, former Gov. Ali Saad of Jigawa and former Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara as members among others.(NAN)