APC NCECPC reluctant to organise national convention, elect leaders – DG PGF

Tom Okpe, Abuja

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC and Director General, Progressives Governors Forum, PGF Salihu Moh’ Lukman has stated that the national Caretaker/ExtraOrdinary Convention Planning Committee, NCECPC led by Mai Mala Buni is reluctant to organize the national convention and elect leaders for the party.

The DG also said it is important to review challenges and appeal to party leaders to get CECPC with every urgency, conclude the ongoing registration and revalidation of membership exercise as there will be no more room for extension, both of the exercise and the caretaker committee tenure.

Lukman in a press statement on Monday indicated that; “given all the development in APC, especially against the background that most of the expectations around the Caretaker Committee are yet to be met, it will be important to review challenges facing the party and perhaps appeal to APC leaders to get the Caretaker Committee to urgently conclude the membership registration/verification exercise.

“The needless extension of the exercise only strengthens suspicions that the Caretaker Committee is reluctant to organize a National Convention where new leadership of the party will be elected.

“Based on what has been done so far, the minimum requirement should be that records of members of the party are displayed in all wards and copies made available to Local Governments, States and National Secretariat.

“With membership records displayed, the timetable for Congresses and National Convention should be set.

“Under no circumstances should there be any contemplation of extending tenure of the Caretaker Committee.

“In order to ensure that no extension is being considered, Committees for Congresses and National Convention should be established without any further delay. Similarly, the dates for Congresses and National Convention should be decided,” he noted.

The former Labor henchman also observed that the party is not working by its name ‘Progressives’ as the term is used loosely in Nigeria Politics saying; “the term progressive is used loosely in Nigerian politics, it is important that APC leaders and members are able to functionally decide what the party represent beyond just the name.

“Progressive politics is about dynamism, action and improvement, which is goal-oriented with a clear vision. Political challenges in the country especially in the context of how they are manifesting, makes it important that APC leaders are supported, in every way possible, to transform the party to emerge as a truly progressive party, which should be both representative and responsive to the yearnings of Nigerians.”

He emphasized that the 13-member Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Working Committee appointed by the emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of June 25, 2020, will take steps to begin resolving challenges facing the party, which was difficult to achieve under the dissolved NWC, led by Comrade Adàms Oshiomhole.

“With initial tenure of six months, which was extended by another emergency NEC of December 8, 2020 to June 2021, the work of the Caretaker Committee is expected to end with a National Convention where another leadership should emerge to manage affairs of the party for another four years.

“The initiatives of the APC Federal Government to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, it is important that Nigerians are able to recognize and endorse the plans being implemented by the President Buhari’s government. Beyond endorsement, Nigerians should be able to accept the details of the APC’s anti-poverty agenda.

“The Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) led by Prof. Doyin Salami have provided necessary orientation for the Federal Government to achieve the plan based on the principles that ‘Poverty is not only the lack of cash.

“It is lack of access to shelter, health, education, and jobs which must all be addressed.

“Considering initiatives to strengthen federalism are necessary requirement to ensure that Nigeria’s democracy is both representative and responsive to the needs of Nigerians.

“Recommendations of the APC Committee on True Federalism contain some important proposals in this respect. APC leaders need to take all the necessary steps to strengthen Nigerian democracy by facilitating national engagement based on the recommendations of the APC Committee on True Federalism.

“Part of what is holding the country back is the inability of political leaders to allow negotiation to take place.

“As a result, APC leaders are indifferent to all the recommendations contained in the report of the APC Committee on True Federalism. There is the need to appeal to APC leaders to move the country forward to a position of active negotiation based on the recommendations in the report of APC Committee on True Federalism,” he said.