Politics

Ortom present, Saraki missing as APC holds caucus meeting

Published

6 years ago

February 26, 2018

The National caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is ongoing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, with President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the party’s national Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in attendance.

But the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, is absent at the meeting which is however attended by his legislative counterpart, Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and other members of the National Assembly.

Also present at the meeting is the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, who reportedly recently vowed not to attend any political gathering until the resolution of the farmers/herdsmen clashes.

Ministers, Governors and APC leaders from the 36 States of the federation are also in the meeting which is the first for the year and the fourth caucus meeting of the party.

The meeting is expected to discuss national issues, the crisis within the party, and plans towards its national convention. The party had so far been unable to hold the mandatory bi-annual non-elective convention since 2014 as stipulated in its constitution.

Its constitution makes it mandatory for the party to hold a bi-annual national convention to review party matters and take necessary decisions. Article 25 (A)(i) of the APC constitution stipulates that the national convention of the party be held once in two years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by its NEC.

Today’s meeting is also expected to see the receipt of the interim report from the Tinubu committee on “consultation, reconciliation and confidence – building” that was recently constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari to fix divisions within the party.

The meeting is expected to also ratify a comprehensive programme with dates on Continuous Nationwide Membership Registration Exercise, Ward Congresses, Local Government Area Congresses, State Congresses and National Convention which was brought to the attention of the caucus at the October 31, 2017 meeting.

The party’s national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, had said on January 6 while addressing journalists that both meetings would hold to endorse the timetable for congresses, as the national convention and congress would hold before June.

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