By Jide Orintunsin, Abuja

The Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may be getting another six-month extension during tomorrow’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, despite opposition from some quarters.

The virtual meeting, slated for the Council Chambers at the State House in Abuja, was called by the committee to brief the NEC on its efforts at reconciling party members and the proposed membership registration expected to start on December 12 all the wards in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and all the 36 states.

It was gathered that moves by some stakeholders within the party to push for the postponement of the NEC meeting hit the rock at the weekend for the fear that it might cause a constitutional crisis.

The Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC, through a high-ranking minister, at the weekend, was able to convince President Muhammadu Buhari on the need for the meeting to hold and extend the timeline of the committee.

It said this would forestall another crisis, as the six-month tenure earlier granted the committee will expire on December 24.

The committee was inaugurated by the emergency NEC on June 25, 2020, following the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) due to protracted leadership crisis in the party.

Read Also: APC meeting is for tenure elongation, concerned members allege

The letter of invitation sent out to NEC members by the committee’s Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, explained that the meeting will “review the party’s position and set agenda for the party’s next move”.

But a source close to the caretaker committee, who spoke in confidence, told The Nation that the emergency NEC meeting would, among other things, consider timeline extension for the committee for another six months.

The source said: “The meeting is to enable the CECPC secure the nod of NEC for its reconciliatory moves, new membership drive, especially from the opposition, and the conduct of membership registration before the national convention.

“The committee will require more time to carry out this assignment. It is believed that NEC should be able to give the committee more time to build on the gains of the last five months, by granting the extension.

“I can confide in you that the committee, through a minister, was able to convince the Leader of the Party, President Muhammadu Buhari, of the emerging crisis, if the NEC failed to extend the tenure of the committee, as the conduct of the national convention is not visible before December 24, when the timeline of the committee will expire.”

When reminded of a suit challenging the legality of the CECPC, the source said: “Even with the legal actions instituted to challenge the legality of the caretaker committee, the President was convinced that the party’s constitution empowers the NEC to set up committees for effective running of the party on behalf of the National Convention.

“Aside from this, the caretaker committee had reached out to various organs of the party that constitute NEC and has secured their understanding for the enormity of the assignment ahead of the committee. Penultimate Friday, the committee met with the Forum of State Chairmen of the party and the Non-NWC members in Abuja. The chairman also met with the party’s National Assembly Caucus as well as the President and other stakeholders. All these moves were to get the buying-in of these organs and stakeholders before the NEC meeting.

“The truth is with the level of consultations by the committee and the enormity of the assignment at hand, the emergency NEC meeting on Tuesday will surely extend the tenure of the Governor Buni led CECPC.”

In a statement at the weekend in Abuja, one of the pressure groups within the party that is opposed to tenure elongation – the Concerned APC Members – through its spokesman Abdullahi Dauda expressed concern that tomorrow’s emergency NEC meeting was a ploy by the caretaker committee to secure extension of timeline.

The group alleged that the caretaker committee, in concert with some governors, had perfected plans to secure tenure extension at the NEC meeting.

“We know the agenda of the NEC meeting is to extend the tenure of the caretaker committee, we are also aware of the meeting by some governors at Asokoro where it was agreed who will move the motion for tenure extension for the caretaker committee,” the group said.

Also, a suit filed last month at an Abuja Federal High Court by the immediate past National Vice Chairman, Southsouth, Hillard Eta, of the Oshiomhole-led NWC, is seeking court’s leave to annul the Buni-led CECPC and the reinstatement of the NWC, as dissolved at the June 25, 2020 emergency NEC meeting.