Governors belonging to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have finally backed President Muhammadu Buhari in rejecting tenure extension for party officials at all levels.
They governors are now fully behind Buhari, who in a major change of mind, stated that such elongation of tenure for the APC national chairman, Mr. John Oyegun and others is illegal.
The Punch reports that some state governors who met with Buhari yesterday spoke to State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on their new position on the thorny issue.
A similar meeting between the President and all the governors had ended in a deadlock on Tuesday.
Those who met the President on Wednesday included governors of Zamfara, Abdulazeez Yari; Plateau, Simon Lalong; Imo, Rochas Okorocha;Kano, Abdullahi Ganduje and Ogun, Ibikunle Amosun.
Speaking with reporters after yesterday’s meeting, Yari said all the 24 state governors have agreed that elections of party officials should hold at all levels as canvassed by the President at the last meeting of the party’s National Executive Council.
“We consulted and all the 24 governors of the APC are on the same page with Mr. President that we are going to respect our party’s constitution, and respect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Therefore, we collectively agreed that we will have congresses at all levels – Local – State and National.
“The committee set up by the National Secretariat of our party headed by governor of Plateau State, is presenting its report later today (Wednesday). The governors are also meeting with the working committee today so that we come up with convention committee names as well as timetable of the election.
“So, there is no deadlock in our meeting, we have progressed and very soon you will have the names of the convention committee members as well as the timetable”, the governor explained.
Speaking in the same vein, Okorocha who chairs the Progressives Governors Forum called on those saying the ruling party was in crisis are wrong.
“The issue was that some people who believe that we did not have enough time to organise a party congress and run election. Some people felt that it was a good idea but the most important thing is that, if we do that, we will be contravening both our party constitution and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That is the major issue that we have that they call crisis. We do not have virus.
“This morning, we met with Mr. President to fine-tune issues, one regarding the congress and we have resolved that the congresses at all levels and the Chairman of the elongation committee, is also fine-tuning the arrangement in the same line. To this effect, the convention committee will be set out, it will be announced,” Okorocha said.
On his part, Lalong reiterated that there is no crisis in the party.
The Plateau State governor disclosed that he would be submitting the report of the technical committee he heads to the party leadership on Wednesday.
Buhari had at the party’s NEC meeting of March 27 in Abuja, said NWC’s tenure extension decided at NEC’s meeting on February 27 was illegal and unconstitutional.
The NEC had extended the tenure of the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC and other executive committees of the party across all levels in the country by one year, starting from June.
Be the first to comment