…As embattled Ganduje’s fate splits Govs.
There are growing concerns in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the failure of the Party’s National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to convene National Caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings.
According to reports, the two organs of the party are key in fine-tuning and ratifying decisions of the National Working Committee (NWC), especially the NEC, which is its second highest decision-making organ.
Unlike the NWC, which is saddled with the day-to-day running of the party, the NEC ratifies NWC’s decisions on key issues, and where necessary, subjects them to the national convention, which is the highest organ, for final decisions.
The APC Constitution provides that NEC meetings should be held quarterly to brainstorm and review developments in the party, with a view to ensuring its progress and stability.
Sources in the APC, however, said that aside from the national caucus and NEC meetings yet-to-be convened, the National Advisory Council of the party was also yet to be constituted despite being an advisory body of elders expected to serve as the conscience of the party, like the Board of Trustees, (BoT), in other cases.
Findings revealed that since Ganduje was appointed as the APC helmsman at a NEC meeting held on August 3, 2023, only the NWC has been meeting, while all other organs have remained comatose.
Recall that from August last year till date, several members of the party have made efforts, including threats of legal action, to ensure that a NEC meeting is held, at least to ratify some key decisions reached by the NWC, but the efforts have so far yielded no results.
According to sources Ganduje was afraid of summoning the NEC for fear of being sacked, sequel to several protests against him.
Observers say that judging from the coalition of forces against Ganduje, it would take a miracle for him to survive the numerous onslaughts against him and complete his tenure.
Pundits have also argued that the only suspense subsisting in the episode is the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu factor.
It was gathered that while some governors are behind him, others who are not convinced about his emergence or his leadership are said to be holding back on launching an all-out war because they fear this might pit them against the president. Some of those in the latter group are said to have strategically stopped attending APC events.
Also, some of those in this group have also stayed off the APC national secretariat in Abuja.
Last week, a former national vice-chairman (North-West) of the APC, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, said, “The NWC of the party has appropriated the powers of all organs, and in its name, the national chairman is taking discretionary decisions.
“With such reality, many of the decisions taken not only violate sections of the APC Constitution, but also undermine sections 221–229 of part Il of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended, as well as the Electoral Act 2022”.
However in reaction, the APC national publicity secretary, Felix Morka, a lawyer, said, “We have not scheduled NEC meeting yet. When we schedule it we will make an announcement. So, our members should be patient”.
