The All Progressives Congress, (APC) National Executive Committee, (NEC) held last Tuesday turned out to be an anti-climax. Like the one before it convened last October, plot to sack the national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun and his team by certain forces was again aborted by his loyalists.
The NEC not only passed a vote of confidence on his leadership, it also granted it one year extension.
Oyegun emerged as national chairman at the party convention held in 2014 and his tenure was expected to terminate in June this year when a new set of national officers were expected to be elected at the convention.
But Oyegun won. Illumination of what to expect was revealed on the eve of the NEC meeting last Monday when the state chairmen met before the meeting of the national caucus and demanded for two year tenure extension for themselves and Chief Odigie-Oyegun led NWC.
In a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting held in Abuja, the state chairmen under the aegis of Forum of State Chairmen “unanimously passed vote of confidence on our dear President. Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman of our great party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun and other leaders of our great party for their numerous achievements despite the challenges so far experienced in our dear country.’’
They also endorsed President Buhari to seek for a fresh mandate in 2019. “We also urge Mr. President to present himself for a second term tenure in 2019,” they chorused.
At the end of the meeting of NEC, Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello explained to newsmen why the gathering of party chieftains agreed on tenure extension.
He said: “At the end of the NEC meeting today, a major decision was taken, in line with the Constitution of the party. We are all aware that the tenure of the current NWC and the executive members of this party, both elected and appointed comes to an end June this year.
“Considering the time left for the party to conduct all the congresses and convention, and considering that our leader, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been charged with the responsibility of reconciling all aggrieved members of our party, we cannot afford to approach the general elections with more disputes and crisis.
“And relying on Article 13 of our Constitution, which empowers the NEC to carry out the functions of the convention, the NEC has decided to extend the tenure of the current NWC and other executives committee at various levels for another 12 months, starting from June 30.
“Let me tell you that this will not stop the convention of the party but to go into elective Congresses is what we are trying to avoid relying on the constitution of our party. As a matter of fact, Mr. President believes in ensuring that there are Congresses and convention across board. How would you manage the crisis that will arise thereabout? Let me give you instances, in Ekiti and Osun states, their state congresses were postponed similarly in 2014 ahead of the elections, just two states to avoid crisis, talk less of the whole country. So, that is why this decision was taken.’’
On efforts to ensure that peace returned to the party, Governor Bello further said a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu would still continue with his reconciliation of aggrieved members that he has been saddled with and said every genuine member of the party was willing to cooperate with him, in deference to the admonition of President Buhari.
“I don’t have the terms of reference that was given to our leader and I want to believe that there is no committee that is set up without timeline. So, I’m not in the position to tell you the timeline given to that committee. Also, every member of this committee whether one man committee or multiple man committee, I want to assure you that every member of APC, we are cooperating 100 per cent with our leader Sen. Bola Tinubu.’’
Oyegun: Pain in APC NEC(k)?
While the APC NWC and certain governors sympathetic to Chief Oyegun savour their victory, the rival camp which stormed out of venue of the meeting has been faulting the proclamation of tenure extension as they noted that it was an infraction on the party constitution.
Nigerian Tribune findings revealed that Article 13 of the APC 2014 Constitution, (as amended) which Governor Bello claimed the NEC relied on to grant the extension actually vests the national convention such powers.
Article 13.3 (iii) reads: “Decision of the National Executive Committee shall be binding on all organs and all members of the party, except the National Convention.
Further findings revealed that by virtue of Article 30 of the APC 2014 Constitution, (as amended) only the national convention is vested with the powers to alter the party Constitution.
The section reads: “This constitution and the schedules hereto, can be amended only by the National Convention of the party.
“Notice of any proposed amendment by any member or organ of the party shall be given to the National Secretary at least 14 days before the date of the National Convention. The Notice shall be in writing, shall contain a clear statement of the proposed amendment and reasons thereof it.
“Notice of proposed amendment(s) shall be served on the members of the National Convention at least fourteen(14) days before the date of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered.
“Publication of the notice of the proposed amendments in a national newspaper shall be deemed to be sufficient notice;
“The Constitution or any part thereof shall stand amended if a proposed amendment is supported by at least two thirds of the delegates present and voting.’’
The road to litigations
Plot to challenge the extension has since commenced as a member of the party from Imo State, Okere Uzochukwu, last Friday, filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja challenging the extension of the tenure of members of the Chief Oyegun led National Working Committee.
Joined in the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/219/2018, are the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission. Uzochukwu through his lawyer, Nnamdi Okere, is asking the court to compel Chief Oyegun and his team to vacate their respective offices with effect from June 1, 2018, when they would have completed their four-year tenure.
He is also seeking for an order compelling INEC “to reject, cease to recognize and stop dealing with or having official communications with the Odigie-Oyegun-led National Working Committee” and others effective from June 1, 2018, “for having spent the constitutionally allowed tenure of office.”
Uzochukwu’s lawyer also contended that by virtue of Article 13.3 (iii) of the party constitution, ‘’Decision of the NEC shall be binding on all organs and all members of the party, except the national convention.”
The Imo state governor, (not the APC state chapter!) has since issued a disclaimer, declaring that the appellant was not a member of the party. Barely a year to the general election, stakeholders in the ruling party are still engaged in serious war of attrition for the control of the APC structures at states and national level. While certain individuals in the rival camp are bent on court actions, national publicity secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdulai has warned against such move as he told Nigerian Tribune that “any member who takes the party to court over its decision will be dealt with accordingly .That is anti -party activity, “ he noted.
The witty remarks of senator representing Kaduna Central in the National Assembly, Sheu Sani may be apposite here. Confronted last week by newsmen on his reaction to the extension, Senator Sani said: “I can understand that the tenure of the existing leaders of the party have been extended by a year, so, I see that as the stakeholders of the party have used helicopters to fly over the problems of the party. But we still have to solve the problems. We must confront our problems and solve them. So, to me, extension or no extension, if the crisis in the party is not solved, we are simply postponing the evil day.”
and then