President Muhammadu Buhari will today meet with Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.
A presidency source told source that the meeting was slated for 2pm to address certain crises in the party, especially on the issue of tenure extension for the John Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee (NWC).
Citing the Nigerian Constitution and the constitution of the APC, the president, during the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting last week, shocked his party members when he raised objections to the plan to extend the tenure of elected and appointed executives of the party at all levels, including that of Odigie-Oyegun, the national chairman, by one year, possibly saving the party from the series of lawsuits that would have arisen from the extra year handed the executives.
He said while Article 17(1) and 13.2 (b) of the APC constitution limits the tenure of elected officers to four years, renewable once by another election, Section 223 of the Nigerian Constitution also prescribes periodic elections for party executives at regular intervals, which must not exceed four years.
On the adoption of a caretaker committee to manage the affairs of the party, Buhari also said a caretaker committee could not remedy the situation and validly act in place of elected officers.
“I hope we will take the opportunity of this gathering to resolve outstanding issues and consolidate on our plans towards making APC the strongest defender of the interest of our people.
“In particular, I think it is important for me to speak quickly on the contentious issue of the tenure of our national and state executive officers.
“As we all know, a motion was moved at the last National Executive Committee meeting of February 27 to the effect that when the tenure of the current executives expires in June this year, they should be allowed to continue for one year.
“On my own part, I have taken time to review and seek advice on the resolution, and what I found is that it contravenes both our party’s constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
His decision led to war of words between vested interests, while the party in a statement by Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary, said only the NEC could reverse the extension. (Source: DAIL INDEPENDENT)
