Tag: National Caucus

As the All Progressives Congress leaders prepare for this week’s National Caucus and the NEC meetings, there is increased expectation ahead the proposed National Convention, reports Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu 

Before the return of President Muhammadu Buhari from his last leave in the United Kingdom, where he had gone to attend to his medical condition, the inability of the ruling political party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), to hold its National Convention was a subject of intense controversy. While critics and the opposition parties described the development as concrete evidence that the ruling party had “serious cracks,” others said the party cannot hold its convention until Buhari returns to the country.

So, since the president finally returned, informed observers have wondered why the party had further delayed crucial meetings like the National Caucus and National Executive Council (NEC) meetings that should precede the convention.

Even when the party leadership, last week, announced that it has finally fixed its National Caucus meeting for October 30 and the NEC meeting for October 31, some observers expressed doubts if it would hold.

Their doubt, The Nation learnt was because of previous postponements of the convention date. It would be recalled that the APC postponed the convention earlier fixed for April 29, 2017.

But to assure concerned stakeholders that the party is ready now, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, had freely confirmed that the two very important preparatory meetings will hold.

For example, when he was asked whether the party had fixed a date for its NEC meeting, he said, “Yes, we are looking at October the 31st.”

The party’s Assistant Publicity Secretary, Edegbe Odewingie, not only corroborated what Abdullahi said, but also, according to a report, confirmed the venue of the two meetings. The National Caucus, according to him, will hold at the Presidential Villa, while the National Working Committee, NEC, will hold at the party’s national secretariat.

Fresh confusion however set in early this week, when it was reported that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) will be postponed by two days.

The report, according to a source, came as a rude shock to many APC leaders who wondered what could be responsible for such a sudden postponement.

But as stakeholders were considering the implication of such a development, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, however denied the report on Thursday. He was quoted as saying, “I am really surprised because there is no such thing. The caucus meeting is still holding on the 30th and NEC on the 31st.”

Commenting on the development and the resultant apprehension within and outside APC, Dr. Ismaila Kadiri said, “The uneasiness is because of the numerous postponements of the same meetings and the fact that so many critical issues must be resolved in the proposed National Convention of the party.” Kadiri also alleged that “some forces in the party may be afraid of a successful convention and as such are determined to frustrate attempts to hold the crucial meetings that will set the stage for a convention.

“Is it not worrisome to you that APC, a party that won presidential election with such an overwhelming support, has failed to hold another NEC meeting since 2015 when it held it last. Apart from this, the party has failed to properly constitute its Board of Trustees since its 2015 victory. I agree with some of our people who attribute this to division within the party’s ranks,” he said.

Another respondent, Chief Ndubuisi Onuoha, a community leader said the ripples over the doubts raised concerning APC’s crucial national meetings “could be traced to the current tension growing within the party’s rank and file over the management of the party’s affairs.”

As he puts it: “Any careful observer will understand why all stakeholders in APC are reacting the way they are reacting over the party’s convention. You know that a National Convention means a change of leadership in the ruling party. Coming before the 2019 Presidential, National Assembly and governorship elections, no one is ready to joke with it. Also, utterances and signals from the leaders of the party, suggest that this convention will serve as the defining moment for the control of the party ahead 2019. We have seen most of the leaders, including Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, openly voicing out, at one time or the other, their misgivings on the way the party was run in recent time.”

Besides the issue of leadership of the party, sources said the outcome of the week’s meetings and the convention will go a long way to determine the fortunes of APC in the 2019 presidential election. It would be recalled that there was murmuring recently when APC’s former Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, was quoted as saying that the party’s presidential ticket for the 2019 poll was open to all who wish to contest.

Considering the fact that President Muhammadu Buhari will still be eligible to contest the plum seat in 2019, the party’s current leadership dismissed the pronouncement as a personal opinion.

A stakeholder, who pleaded not to be named, said on Friday that such confusion could be blamed on the fact that the party had not held such important meetings for a long time. “I believe our leaders will speak as one after this week’s meetings,” the source said.

Issues that may be resolved at the meetings

Our correspondent learnt that among the major issues that would be discussed at the National Caucus meeting and at the NEC meeting is the party’s inaugural bi-annual national convention. This, said our source, “will most likely top the agenda of the NEC meeting.”

He also informed that the leaders may use the opportunity to discuss the report of the different fact-finding and reconciliation committees in states where crises exist. Since the party came to power, her critics have always made references to the state chapters, where some leaders have not been able to work together.

Other important issues that may be discussed at the caucus meeting, according to a source, is the report of Dr. Muiz Banire Constitution Review Committee, which is expected to be presented by the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC.

Besides these, we gathered that the nature and constitution of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) may be presented for discussion at the National Caucus meeting.

Explaining the hopes of most APC stakeholders, Kadiri said, “The anxiety within the party over the proposed meetings next week is because of the people’s expectations. We believe that most of the minor issues that have tended to separate and divide our leaders would be resolved in these meetings so that by the time we go for the convention, we would go there as a more united family. That is why we do not want to hear about any more postponement or problem.”