APC explains rationale for NEC delegating powers to NWC as presidential primaries draw closer

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, explained the rationale behind the decision of its National Executive Committee (NEC) to vest its powers on the National Working Committee (NWC) for the next three months.

Dr Betty Edu, the APC National Women Leader, made this clarification during an interview on AriseTV monitored by Ripples Nigeria.

The decision by the NEC was proposed by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and seconded by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

This was during the NEC’s 11th meeting in Abuja presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to Dr Edu, this delegation of duties by the NEC was expedient due to time constraints since all political parties must work in tandem with the timetable announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

She also noted that the delegation was set for 90 days in order to avoid back-and-forths between both committees regarding recommendations.

“We are working in tandem with INEC timetable to reach deadline while working with the party’s constitution. In order to deliver on the mandate, the NWC cannot afford to always liaise with the NEC in order to ratify decisions. This is why the NEC gave that approval for 90 days. After that 90 days, the NEC will look at the recommendations and decide therein,” Dr Edu explained.

The APC Women Leader also elucidated on reports about confusion over the mode of presidential primaries.

Read also: APC’s N100m for presidential form is recipe for corruption —Afenifere

She said, “The fact that there is no specified date for an appeal in the wake of the May 30 presidential primaries doesn’t signify an allusion to consensus candidate. All these various issues will be sorted by the NWC as mandated and ratified by the NEC.”

On Wednesday, the party had announced that the presidential primaries to pick party candidates for the general elections in 2023 will be held on May 30 and 31.

This was revealed by the party’s spokesperson, Felix Morka, at the end of a closed-door meeting of the NEC in Abuja.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now