TENURE ELONGATION: Committee submits report; Last throw of the dice for APC NWC?

The 10-member committee on tenure elongation set up by the National Executive committee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has submitted its report.

The committee chaired by Simon Lalong, Governor of Plateau State, was inaugurated by the National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, at the party’s secretariat on Tuesday.

The party confirmed Friday that the report had been submitted, but did not disclose its contents.

President Muhammadu Buhari had on March 27 asked the APC NEC to reverse its decision to extend the tenure of national and state officials, a move that came as a shock to the party officials and some governors that had backed the initial decision.

The president’s announcement also tallied with the position of foremost leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, who had been in longstanding opposition to the party chairman, prompting many to speculate that the president may have decided to align his position with Tinubu’s with 2019 in view.

Read also: TENURE ELONGATION: Oyegun loses out as govs back Buhari, Tinubu

After Buhari’s advice, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s spokesperson, announced that the NEC had set up a small technical committee to advise the party on the matter. He said until the submission of the recommendations of the committee, the decision to extend the tenure would remain.

However, in what appeared the result of extensive back-room negotiations and consensus building, the group of APC governors, to which the chairman of the technical committee, Lalong, and three other governors belong, announced their backing of the president’s call for an elective convention to determine the emergence of NWC officials.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja, Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, provided some insight into the thinking behind the move by the governors. He said, “So for those who thought they would be able to continue, we said no and so I think Mr President finally hit the nail on the head, by saying that he is not in favour of any tenure elongation,” Ganduje said.

“Tenure elongation is undemocratic, it may lead us to litigation which will not be good for the party and we are happy that we have convinced the few governors that were for the elongation and on Monday we hope to have our NEC meeting where the previous decision will be reversed.

“By then timetable will be out for congresses at the ward level, congress at local government level, congress at the state level and finally convention at the national level.”

Apart from Lalong as chairman, the technical committee comprised of Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Abiola Ajimobi, Governor of Oyo State; Nasir EI-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State; Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State; Ben Uwojumogu; Kabiru Ajono; Elisha Kuroh; C. J. Dokos; and Muiz Banire; the party’s legal adviser to serve as the committee secretary.

 

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