Buhari’s second term, NWC tenure dominate APC meeting
Sources say these are some of the thorny issues the party leaders will have to thrash out in the next two days.
The APC leaders during yesterday’s meeting also deliberated on how to convince President Buhari to seek re-election next year.
Sources said they also brought up the crisis ravaging its state chapters and the need to resolve them so as to improve the party’s chances ahead of 2019.
It was gathered yesterday that the NWC meeting, being presided over by the party’s National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, started addressing some of the key issues.
There was no official briefing for journalists on the outcome of the meeting.The meeting will continue today.
It was gathered that the presidency was “in tune” with the planned extension of the tenure of Chief Oyegun’s led NWC.
“The argument is simple, if Oyegun and his team continue, it would be much easier for us to sail through President Buhari’s re-election bid,” a credible source said.
“Some APC governors are also in support of this because if we are to hold convention now for new party leaders to emerge, it would be difficult to galvanize forces,” he said.
Another source confirmed that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi who was rumoured to have been re-appointed as Director-General of President Buhari’s Campaign Organization is working closely with Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State to ensure that contentious issues within the party were resolved soonest.
The party’s NWC must convene the National Executive Committee (NEC) anytime soon because the tenure of the party officials at ward level will expire by February 24.
Chief Odigie-Oyegun had said on January 6 this year that the meetings of National Caucus and NEC would hold by the end of this month to endorse the timetable for congresses and national convention.
The APC national chairman added that the congresses and convention would hold between January and June this year.
But the activities lined up ahead of the congresses and convention and the actions of party leaders were now being received with suspicion after key political figures in the ruling party were believed to have commenced fresh moves to delay the process again, with the purported plan to elongate the tenure of the current NWC beyond June 13, 2018 when their tenure expires.
The plan was cited as the reason for the abrupt postponement of a routine meeting expected to involve the NWC members, the 24 governors and the party caucus in the National Assembly last Wednesday.
The APC is enveloped in crisis in many states under its control and this is one of the issues the ongoing NWC meeting is working to resolve.
In Kano where the party got the highest votes in 2015, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is locked in intense fight with his predecessor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
Various committees setup to resolve the crisis could not succeed, and sources said the APC leadership, on the orders of President Buhari would try to find a lasting solution to the problem.
“Kwankwaso came second to Buhari during the APC’s presidential primaries in 2015; the party will not afford to have a divided house in Kano,” a source close to the meeting, said.
Governor El-Rufai is also fighting with Senator Shehu Sani and other APC chieftains in Kaduna. They include Dr. Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Tijjani Ramalan and Tom Maiyashi.
The situation is the same in Katsina where Governor Aminu Bello Masari is not seeing eye-to-eye with the likes of Mohammed Tukur Liman, Tijjani Zangon Daura, Sadiq Yar’Adua, Kabiru Murja, Sada Ilu among other party chieftains, a development that led to the formation of APC-Akida.
In Bauchi, Governor Mohammed Abubakar is having a frosty relationship with Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, the three senators from the state- Nazif Gamawa, Ali Wakili and Hamma Misau as well as other legislators and senior party chieftains like ex- Police Affairs Minister, Dr. Yakubu Lame.
In Oyo State, Governor Abiola Ajimobi is fighting with the Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shitu.
The situation is the same in many states.
“All these are the tasks before the APC NWC meeting and we are trying to resolve them. We also want to ensure that our house is put in order in the South West and in the North Central while we consolidate our gains in the South East,” another source said.
A delegation of the All Progressives Congress leaders from the Southeast yesterday met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and asked him to support zoning of the presidency to the region in 2023.
They also reaffirmed the unanimous decision of the party in the zone on December 31, 2017 endorsing Buhari for a second term in office.
The delegation, led by Science and Technology Minister Ogbonnaya Onu, comprises former Senate President Ken Nnamani, former Ebonyi State Governor Martins Elechi, Senator Andy Uba, Senator Ben Uwajimogu, former governor of old Anambra State Jim Nwobodo, Senator Nkechi Nworgu, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, former Labour Minister Emeka Wogu, Senator Uche Ekwunife, Hon. Tony Nwoye, among others.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Hon. Emma Eneukwu, National Vice Chairman, South East APC, said: ‘‘It is our conviction that four years is not enough for you to complete this worthy journey hence the need for another four years to enable you make Nigeria truly great.
“We implore Mr President, as a just and fair-minded leader, to make history by supporting the zoning of the office of the President in our great party to the South East at the end of your second tenure in office as President in 2023.”
He thanked Bujari for the several projects receiving attention of the Federal Government in the South East including , 2nd Niger Bridge, Enugu-Port Harcourt road as well as the EnuguOnitsha –Owerri road, among others.
Responding, President Buhari said he would take decisions with a clear conscience and do the best he could do for all Nigerians.
‘‘I assure you that whatever I try to do, I will do it with a clear conscience and I’ll do the best I can do for all Nigerians,’’ Buhari said.
He thanked the delegation for their patriotism, sacrifices and support for the peace and stability of the country.
He commended the Southeast leaders for acknowledging the laudable and consistent efforts of his administration to restore Nigeria to the position of eminence.
‘‘I am very pleased for your patriotism and consistency in supporting our administration. You are always going around explaining things even at the risk of abuse.
‘‘I want you to know that I have not forgotten the efforts and sacrifices you have made in the successes I have achieved in my position and I appreciate what you are doing for the stability of our country and the future of our children and our grandchildren,” he said.