•First-term governors kick against plan •Party nulls automatic ticket for defecting lawmakers
A move by the presidency to consolidate its grip on the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by granting tenure extension to national officers is creating dissafection among the power blocs in the party.
Ahead of the 2027 general election, the presidency is leaving nothing to chance to engender a seamless process of ensuring a fresh ticket for President Bola Tinubu amidst growing dissension within the party.
Saturday Tribune’s checks revealed that a plan is in the offing to ensure that members of the APC National Working Committee led by Abdullahi Umar Ganduje enjoy tenure extension beyond the next general election.
The same privilege may be accorded leaders at the state chapters to avoid election of new national and state officers that could culminate in litigations that could polarise the party in the states.
Multiple sources revealed that securing tenure extension for Ganduje and leaders at state secretariats formed part of decisions taken at the national caucus meeting which preceded the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in February in Abuja.
A vote of confidence in the APC NWC led by the former Kano State governor formed part of the resolutions read to newsmen by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, at the end of the gathering of that statutory organ of the party.
Investigation revealed that Ganduje and Senator Ajibola Basiru emerged as the national chairman and secretary, respectively, in Auugust 2023 following the ouster of Senators Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore at the NEC meeting.
Senators Adamu and Omisore had emerged at the national convention held in March 2022 at the Eagle Square, Abuja, along with other national officers.
By virtue of the provisions of Article 17(1) of the APC Constitution (2022 as amended), officers of the party are expected to serve for a period of four years.
The constitution reads in part: “Except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, all officers of the Party elected or appointed into the Party’s organs shall serve in such organs for a period of four (4) years and shall be eligible for re-election or reappointment for another period of four (4) years only, provided that an Officer elected or appointed to fill a vacancy arising from death, resignation or otherwise shall notwithstanding be eligible for election to the same office for two terms.”
First-term governors angry
Aside from Ganduje and Senator Basiru, certain officers in the party elected along with Abdullahi Adamu would have exercised the four-year tenure timeline by next year.
While the arrangement is the initiative of President Tinubu to prevent litigations and polarisation that may arise from conduct of fresh congresses and national convention, party sources revealed that APC governors in their first term smarting to put their loyalists at the state chapters and the national secretariat are miffed that loyalists of their predecessors are being forced on them by the presidency.
Rumble over automatic tickets for NASS members
Apart from tenure extension for national officers, also on the card are automatic tickets for serving federal lawmakers who dumped their erstwhile parties for the APC.
Checks by Saturday Tribune revealed that certain senators and members of the House of Representatives secured the deal with the presidency before making formal declarations on the floors of both chambers of the National Assembly to join the APC.
Senators who have defected to the APC include Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi representing Imo East district who dumped the Labour Party and the senator for Delta North, Ned Nwoko.
In the House of Representatives are Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, daughter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and former Delta State governor, James Ibori; the lawmaker representing Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency, Salman Idris, who defected from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
While the lawmakers are basking in the euphoria of a done deal, chieftains of the party with interest in such tickets who are aware of the development are complaining in hushed tones over the looming imposition of candidates in the party instigated by the Presidency.
READ ALSO: Tinubu at APC NEC, asks Ganduje to reconcile aggrieved members
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