The All Progressives Congress (APC) has
shifted the dates for its congresses and
national convention scheduled to start next
month due to the Ramadan fast.
The party said the national convention
earlier fixed for May 14 would now hold at
a later date to be determined by the
National Working Committee (NWC).
Also, in the aftermath of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s endorsement of
former Governor Adams Oshiomhole for the
national chairmanship position, the party’s
NWC wednesday resisted the move by
governors to interfere in the composition of
committees to conduct the congresses.
Addressing journalists after the meeting of
the NWC and the governors of the party
wednesday, the National Publicity
Secretary, Bolaji Abdulahi, said the
leadership has been mandated to review
the timetable to cater for certain issues
that have cropped up.
He said with the review, there was a
possibility that the congresses and national
convention may be shifted in view of the
observations made by some of the
governors that the timetable was too tight
and made no room for errors.
The APC spokeman also said some of the
governors brought the issue of the Muslim
fast which will come up soon.
Abdulahi explained that the meeting was
called to emphasise to the state governors
the need to ensure that congresses were
held in a very transparent manner.
“We are aware that some governors have
been making statements which we believe
are giving the impression that we don’t
intend to hold congresses in particular
states.
“So the meeting was to emphasise to those
governors that we want congresses in a
very transparent manner and to ensure that
the processes are free and fair,” he said.
The APC spokesman said one of the major
concerns of the party at the beginning was
that they should do everything possible to
avoid rancour that could be generated as a
result of the congresses.
“It was agreed that one of the major ways
of avoiding that rancour is to ensure that
the congresses are transparent to the
majority of the people,” he said.
On the renewed interest by the governors to
influence committee’s list, Abdulahi said
the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie
Oyegun, and the NWC rejected it, insisting
that it is the constitutional right of the
leadership to decide who would come to
their states to conduct the congresses
“We made it clear to them that this is a
constitutional matter and the constitution
of the APC imposes the power to constitute
the committees on the NWC only and that
by Friday this week, the list of the congress
committee members will be ready.
“There was also observation on the side of
the governors about the timetable for the
congresses and convention and the
observation was that the timetable was too
closely packed and that it does not leave
much room for errors.
“The observation was that the timetable as
currently constituted was determined
because of the Ramadan. We want to be
sensitive to the feelings of Muslims who
will be fasting during Ramadan and we
wanted to, as much as possible, avoid
conducting any political activity during the
period of Ramadan.
“There were other observations and so,
there is the possibility that the timetable
may be reviewed. That is not decided yet,
but it was agreed that the NWC will take a
second look at the timetable and see the
possibility for adjustment because there
are other issues,”
When asked if the meeting discussed the
endorsement of Oshiomhole by President
Buhari, Abdulahi said: “What we were told
at the meeting was that the president had
a meeting with some governors and they
asked to know who he wanted to support,
and I think that he told them his
preference. But that has nothing to do with
the meeting we had today.”
On whether the NWC would back Oyegun or
stand with the president, he said: “I don’t
think that is a fair question to ask me
because you will be asking me for my
personal opinion and I am not here to give
you my personal opinion.
“What I can tell you is that Oyegun will
make his position known within the next
couple of days whether he is going to
contest the chairmanship or not.
He said the president is a party member
and has the right to have his preferences,
adding that he did not tell anyone to
support his choice.
“The consultation he had with these
governors was a private conversation. He
did not address a press conference to say
this is the person I want.
“So, if those individuals he confided in felt
it was necessary for them to make the
position public, I don’t think it is fair for us
to hold the president responsible for this. I
don’t think he has foreclosed anything or
that he has said this is the way everyone
must go.”
While giving further details on the outcome
of the meeting, Kano State Governor,
Abdulahi Ganduje, said leaders agreed that
the timetable be reviewed so that
congresses can hold on weekends.
“We discussed the issue of the timetable
and time limit for the congresses and
convention, and we decided that NWC
should review the timetable because, in the
previous timetable, the Ward and local
government congresses are too close.
“We equally discover that the congresses
are designed to hold on working days and
normally we use public premises like
schools and secretariats for the conduct of
the congresses. Fixing the congresses
during working days means that such
places cannot be available.
“We also agreed that the zoning will be
maintained for the party officers but the
only clause is that they should go and
discuss with those governors in charge of
the zones where the officers should come
from.
“For example, the chairman of the party
will have to come from the South-south, the
secretary from the Northeast and all other
positions like that. We have resolved all
issues amicably,” he said.
Ganduje also responded to PDP’s attack on
APC that Oshiomhole was imposed as
chairman of the party, saying there is no
such thing.
He said that what President Buhari did was
a private opinion, adding that no one is
bound to toe his line.
He said what PDP is describing as
imposition is nothing but a guided
democracy.
“There is no imposition at all. Everybody is
free to contest just as everybody is free to
hold an opinion on who should lead the
party. I think that there is more case of
imposition because it is not a guideline
and jot part of the constitution.
“Just like every other person, Mr President
has the right to air his opinion but that
does jog mean he should stop any person
who will like to contest from contesting.
Mr. President’s opinion is not
constitutional and it is not a non-
constitutional opinion as well.
“He just voiced out his thought which will
serve as a guideline to some and otherwise
to some. The issue of being undemocratic
does not even arise.
There is what we call guided democracy
and we regard what Mr. President said as
such. If that is what will make the party
stable and avoid the fallout after the
election like we saw in the PDP, it will be
better for us,” he said.
Unlike the usual tradition of making
opening remarks, the meeting which started
about 2.30p.m. and presided over by the
National Chairman of the party, Oyegun
began without any opening remark.
Governors Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Rotimi
Akeredolu (Ondo), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna),
Abdullahi Umar Gabduje (Kano), Ibikunle
Amosun (Ogun), Raul Aregbesola (Osun),
Sani Bello (Niger), Godwin Obaseki (Edo),
Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Ibrahim Gaidam
(Yobe), Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa),
Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Abdulaziz Yari
(Zamfara). The governors of Kwara and
Katsina were represented by their deputies.
Governors of Lagos, Plateau, Benue, Kogi,
Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Sokoto and Kebbi
were absent at the meeting and were not
represented.
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