2019:  APC in make or mar NEC meeting

Two organs of the All Progressives Congress, the national caucus and National Executive Committee, (NEC) are meeting this week in Abuja. Senior Deputy Editor, TAIWO AMODU, examines the issues before the party stakeholders.

ON Tuesday, leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC) will converge at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja for a meeting of its statutory organ, the National Executive Committee (NEC) which, by all indications, will be a stormy session.

Before the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party led by Chief John Odigie- Oyegun finally agreed with the governors to fix a meeting for Tuesday, it had been engaged in a cat and mouse game with the latter.

For a party without a Board of Trustees, (BoT) in place, despite provision for it in its constitution, the All Progressives Congress Governors’ Forum, (APCGF) led by the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha as chairman has taken upon itself  the duty of a ‘pressure group’ in the ruling party through its interface with the the Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC to discuss burning issues affecting the party.

Oyegun: The crisis of confidence

Sunday Tribune’s checks revealed that the APCGF’s first intervention was last March when it met with the APC NWC to express its disaffection over the latter unilateral fixing of date for what it called a midterm non-elective convention without recourse to two other strategic and statutory organs of the ruling party, the national caucus and NEC.

The Oyegun leadership had last March, in a statement, unveiled April as date for conduct of  a midterm convention. A statement signed by the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdulahi declared that “the processes leading to the national convention will commence with the congress to fill vacancies in the state party structures across the country.

“The vacancies to be filled, according to the statement,” occurred principally from political appointments, deaths and resignations. “The congress to fill the vacancies would be followed closely by another congress to nominate delegates into the mid-term non-elective convention of the party.’’

Abdullahi further disclosed that ‘’the congresses will be followed by the National Caucus meeting, and finalised with the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the Party, which will consider and set the dates for the National Convention, which is expected to hold not later than April of 2017.’’

With the intervention of the governors, the processes that could have led to conduct of the congresses, culminating in the convention were shelved.

Politics of aborted convention

Further checks by Sunday Tribune revealed that aggrieved leaders of the party, who are members of national caucus and NEC  peeved by the administrative style of the former Edo state governor found an ally in the governors forum and were pushing for Oyegun’s removal.

Their grievance was the national leadership failure to convene meetings of NEC empowers to convene the meeting of its highest organ, the national convention. A meeting of NEC is an avenue to demand for meeting of convention where those smarting to take their pound of flesh can pass a vote of no confidence in Oyegun.

The APC Constitution, (October 2014, as amended) empowers the national chairman to summon meeting of NEC, which shall fix date for national convention. Article 25 (B)( i, ii) of the party constitution reads:’’ The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the national chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-third of the members of the National Executive Committee provided that not less than fourteen (14) days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned; “Without prejudice to Article 25(B(i) of this Constitution, the National Working Committee may summon an emergency National Executive Committee meeting at any time, provided that at least seven (7) days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend.’’

The national convention, the highest organ of the party is the only statutory body that  can take decisions on sensitive matters like removal of national officers, election of presidential candidate, ratification of amendment of the party constitution and  its policies and  programmes.

But while the aggrieved leaders and the governors were plotting to ensure that the meetings were convened, a distraught Oyegun  found a strong, convincing  alibi in the ailing President Buhari who was attending to his health in the United Kingdom.

At a meeting between the governors and the Oyegun-led NWC called at the instance of the former held last July, Oyegun the cat with nine lives, succeeded in dividing their ranks as he pleaded with them that it would not be proper to convene meetings of NEC when the leader of the party, President Buhari was outside the country, attending to his health.

Addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting Zamfara State governor, who incidentally is the chairman Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdul-Aziz Yari said the 24 governors on the party platform had agreed with the party national leadership that no NEC or convention be convened in the absence of President Buhari.

He said: “We have been on this issue of mid-term convention for some time. But you know that the president is the leader of this party and before getting to the convention, there is a process. The NWC must agree on the time and we have to adopt the report of the National Working Committee to the National Executive Committee and the President must be in attendance as the leader.

“You know the situation of our president today. We have been fixing time, but because of his illness, we have not been able to hold the meeting. But we have to put a process in place so that we can hold the mid -term convention.’’

Oyegun exhausts tricks?

Sunday Tribune findings revealed that the fate of the APC convention hangs in the balance as the embattled Oyegun continues to work on certain governors to push for the convention till March 2018 when the tenure of his team is expected to terminate.

The party’s national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi offered an illumination of the plot while speaking with newsmen during the week, as he declared that no convention would be convened this year.

Abdullahi said the meeting of national caucus and NEC fixed for Monday and Tuesday, respectively was to decide on date and agenda of the national convention which he insisted would not be convened this year.

“I can tell you that the convention isn’t going to take place until the first quarter of next year. There will not be any implosion or explosion because we have to hold NEC meeting that will agree on a date and agenda for convention.’’

By virtue of the APC Constitution, the gathering of its highest organ is expected to be convened, once in two years.

Article 25 A (1) of the document reads: “The national convention of the Party shall be held once in Two (2) years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by the National Working Committee and approved by the National Executive Committee subject to the giving of the statutory notices to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and at least fourteen (14) days’ notice given to members eligible to attend.’’

Will the national caucus and NEC allow Oyegun and his team to shift conduct of national convention? Will Oyegun have the last laugh?  It is unlikely that Tuesday gathering that will have in attendance President Muhammadu Buhari, former vice-president, Atiku Abubakar and the agitated governors allow the former Edo state governor to lead them by the nose…