THE Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo state, Hon. Isaacs Kekemeke, on Thursday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for opposing the tenure elongation granted the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party led by the national chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun.
Kekemeke who stated this in Akure, Ondo state capital, said the President has saved the party from the irredeemable crisis, saying tenure elongation was alien to the party and not contained in the party or national constitution.
President Buhari had on Monday told members of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party that the tenure elongation of Oyegun and others was illegal.
Kekemeke said the President though acted late but had saved the party from the crisis by showing he is a defender of democracy and constitution.
He said “I think the President just saved the party, people were talking about tenure elongation which is alien and strange to our party democracy, party constitution and national constitution.
“In my view, the President was a bit late and I think he recognised it when he said he needed now to act quickly and swiftly before some people plunge the party into some irredeemable crisis and situations.
“The President has just shown to us that he is a defender of the constitution of the party and of our nation, as the Chief Executive of our country who must lead by examples.
Condemning the promoter of the tenure elongation and the National Chairman of APC, Kekemeke said”I do not think the promoters of tenure elongation were or are altruistic, I think they were motivated by peculiar interest and they need to make plenty of money during the incoming primaries, they wanted to see if they could be bought by the highest payers.
“Basically, I thought Chairman Oyegun, the National Organising Secretary and all of them who are ordinary in charge of the election were already looking up to how much money was going to come.
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“They did one for 2015 and they were looking forward to doing another one for 2019, so its not anything patrotic, it is destructive and this impunity and an attempt at impunity for a group of people to extend their own tenure, it is immoral, shameful and we thank the President for putting an end to this.”
He said those supporting the tenure elongation were doing it for their selfish interest saying the reversal of the tenure elongation indicated an that the President was not in support of the impunity perpetrated by some leaders of the party.
“The President made it very clear that those of them who think they still want to serve should run again and should go and renew their mandate, that’s the way to do it, if you know you’re popular, renew your mandate, otherwise you don’t plunge a whole system into grave risk.
“I’m happy that it’s a new dawn for our party and God has used the President, For some of is it’s reassuring and we hope that the President will do much more as the leader of the party and cal defiance in the party into order, no matter highly placed they are, and make them embrace the change that he preached.
“It is good to the polity and what it means is that the President will not allow impunity, unconstitutionality and shows he stands with the people and the rule of law. That the message the President has passed and it’s so significant, it is good for the polity”
He, however, said the party in the state “fully supports the President in his direction to the National Executive Council that they should go for congresses and i am ready to pack my loads and go, so that we can have a new executive and give a new lease of life to our party both at state and the national.
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