- As Lalong heads c’ttee to review tenure extension
By Lawrence Olaoye and Umar Muhammad Puma
It appeared that the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) deepened yesterday as the meeting convened by President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve issues around the extension of the John Odigie-Oyegun led National Working Committee (NWC) with the governors on the platform of the party stalemated.
The meeting, which lasted several hours behind closed door, apparently failed to address the issue, as the governors resolved to keep mum when contacted for information by the State House Correspondents.
Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum and Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, told newsmen that they have been instructed not to talk to the press.
But one of the governors was overheard saying that they would not allow a certain ‘tall’ one among them manipulate the issue at hand.
He complained that some of the governors have formed themselves into cliques and having subterranean meetings with a view to imposing their decisions on the other governors, vowing that they would never allow such to happen.
Meanwhile, before the arrival of the President at the Council Chamber, the governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, was seen fuming that they would not allow the ‘coup’ planned and hatched by a certain clique to succeed.
It was also observed that the Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, came ahead of his colleagues several hours before the commencement of the meeting scheduled to hold by 2pm.
It was not, however, clear whether he met the President behind closed door ahead of the meeting, just as one could not say exactly what they both discussed if actually they met.
The issue of tenure extension granted to the Oyegun led APC NWC by the governors have continued to raise the dust even when they were overruled by the President in the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting last week.
A national leader of the party, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, whom Buhari appointed to reconcile aggrieved members, recently called for the resignation of the APC NWC members and the appointment of a care-taker committee before the end of their tenure by June.
He insisted that the care-taker committee so appointed should be empowered to conduct congresses at the local, state and national levels ahead of the 2019 general election.
According to him, the party had been seriously divided under Oyegun and it would be difficult for him to succeed in his reconciliation assignment if Oyegun remains the chairman.
Most of the governors who would want to be in control of the party machinery ahead of its congresses kicked against the suggestion and declared a vote of confidence in his leadership, even as they extended his executive tenure by an extra year.
But the table turned last week when the President overruled the governors and asked the Oyegun’s executive to stand down and allow congresses ahead of the 2019 general election, in accordance to relevant sections of the APC constitution.
He explained that the extension granted Oyegun’s NWC was illegal; and as such, should not be allowed to stand. He called for congresses to allow for election of new leadership for the party.
Since the Presidential declaration, most of the governors who are supporting Oyegun have not relented in mounting pressures on Buhari to rescind his decision and allow the NWC to continue.
Yesterday’s meeting was called by the President to resolve the issue; but it apparently failed to do so as the meeting ended abruptly, failing to even agree on an adjourned date.
Present at the meeting were the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo; the Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari and other senior government officials.
Of the twenty-four state governors on the platform of the APC, only two: governors of Katsina, Rt. Hon. Aminu Masari and his Yobe counterpart, Ibrahim Gaidam, were absent.
The leadership of the party, however, inaugurated a ten member technical committee to be headed by Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, to look into the legal implications of the decision to extend the tenure of the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun led National Working Committee ( NWC).
The committee members include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, Governors Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai (Kaduna), Rotimi Akeredolu ( Ondo) Senator Ben Uwajomogu, Rep Kabiru Ajana, Mr Elisha Kurah (SAN), Mr C.J.N Dakas (SAN) and the National Legal Adviser of the party, Mr Muiz Banire who is also the Secretary of the committee.
Inaugurating the committee at the party’s secretariat yesterday, Oyegun urged the committee to adhere to the provisions of the party constitution.
He further called on them to take into consideration the provision of the 1999 constitution, as amended, and the President’s position in the course of the assignment.
Oyegun charged the committee to accomplish the task within five days in view of the sensitive nature of the issue to the party.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Governor Simon Lalong expressed gratitude to the party for reposing the confidence in him and assured that the committee would consider the arguments canvassed by the proponents and opponents of the issue at stake with all sense of fairness and in deference to the provisions of the law.
He expressed optimism that the crises rocking the APC would be resolved by the time the committee turns in its findings for consideration and subsequent endorsement by the party’s NEC.
