Buhari stuns APC leaders, says tenure elongation of NWC illegal

…Wants those interested in continuity to resign, recontest
In an unexpected move on Tuesday, President Muhammadu Buhari rejected the decision by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to extend the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) and other executives beyond June this year, saying that such move is undesirable and unconstitutional.

The president however advised any member of the party’s executive who is interested in continuity to resign and represent himself for election.

The Daily Times recalls that at the last NEC meeting of the APC on February 27, 2018, it was decided to extend the tenure of all the executives at all levels for 12 months, a move which some members have spoken against and even dragged the party to court

Speaking on Tuesday at the 6th APC NEC meeting, President Buhari, against the major agenda of the meeting, described the issue of tenure elongation as ‘contentious’, and “contravenes both the APC constitution and the 1999 Constitution”.

The President further said even a caretaker committee cannot remedy the situation as it will not act in place of elected officials of the party.

He said: “While the APC constitution in article 17 (1) and 13 (b) limits the tenure of elected officers to four years renewable by another election, the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) in section 223 also prescribed periodic election for party executives at regular intervals which must not exceed four years.

“Furthermore, article 31 of our party constitution provides that any principal officer wishing to re-contest or contest for another post must resign from his current post at least one month before the election. In this circumstance, what is expected of us is to conduct fresh election once the tenure of the current executive approaches its end.

“A caretaker committee cannot remedy the situation and act in place of elected officials. Furthermore, I think that if we deviate from the constitutional provisions, we might be endangering the fortunes of our party.

“If the tenure of our party executive can be legally faulted, it means that any nomination and primary election they may conduct can also be faulted. This is not to talk of divisions that may arise or is already arising within the party when some of our party members feel that they are being denied the right to aspire to executive positions or that internal democracy is not at play within the party.

“I am therefore of the firm believe that it is better to follow strictly the dictate of our party constitution rather than put APC and its activities at grave risk”.

President Buhari further told the NEC members that the only thing he was strong about “is that we should not allow our party to be vulnerable and susceptible to the opposition by delaying us and go to court and quoting appropriate constitutional provision from either the party or national constitution to delay us or divide us further. Please take note of this my statement”, he advised.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after the meeting which lasted about two hours, APC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said that the party will set a technical committee to look into President Buhari’s advice, adding that the decision of the NEC on tenure elongation stands until further notice.

Also commenting, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello said the issue “is a family issue” that will be resolved in-house, corroborating the words of the party spokesman.

About 17 APC state governors and 4 deputy governors attended the NEC meeting at the party secretariat in Abuja.