APC NEC Meets Today, to Consider Options for Presidential Primaries

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) will today holds its emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in attendance.

However, like what was obtainable in the past, the national secretariat of the party won’t hold today’s meeting due to ongoing renovation.

The meeting will be held at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hotel, Abuja and it is expected to commence by 10 am.

The NEC is expected to consider options for presidential primaries for the 2023 elections.  

However, a reliable source  within  the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party,   who pleaded  for anonymity told THISDAY that  the committee will present its decision to the NEC for ratification.

The NWC of the party met yesterday at the party national secretariat in Abuja to consider and approve a timetable for the various primaries for the elections of party flag bearers in the 2023 general election.

THISDAY also gathered that the NWC has concluded on the cost for the expression of interest and nomination forms for various offices from the House of Assembly, National Assembly, the Governors and President.

The source said: “Because the NEC is the highest decision making organ of the party, all our decisions at the NWC meetings of last week and that of today (Tuesday) will be presented to the NEC for approval tomorrow (Wednesday). This will form the main agenda for the meeting.”

“We have made our recommendations. It is for the NEC to approve the various costs pegged to various positions. Mind you, the NWC has approved free nomination forms for all female aspirants, irrespective of the position they want to contest.”

On the mode of primaries, the source added, “Article 20(3 and 4) was clear on the mode of primary to be used at our congresses and convention, but for the primaries for the 2023 elections, we have recommended an indirect mode of election. This also will be presented to the NEC for ratification.”

Another member of the NWC who does not want his name in print confidence revealed that the NWC would  also be seeking the approval of the NEC for the proposed reorganisation of the party’s National Secretariat.

According to the source, “Though we have not concluded on the Transition Committee report, the Chairman will brief the NEC on the preliminary report of the committee and the proposed reorganisation plan of the party secretariat. We hope to look into the Transition Committee report on Thursday.”

However,   there are indications that the youth wing of the party may be pushing for a 50 per cent discount on the cost of nomination forms for all aspiring youth at the forthcoming party primaries.

The APC youth reached the decision at a crucial meeting held  at the party’s national secretariat on Tuesday.

The youth stakeholders had representatives  across the country at the meeting.

The source stated: “If the party can grant free nomination to women, we have resolved to push at tomorrow’s (Wednesday) NEC meeting for a 50 per cent cut in purchasing the nomination forms by all our youth. This will go a long way to boost the not too young to run Act recently signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“We have mandated the National Youth Leader to make this case, while some of us are reaching out to other NEC members to support this move.”

Meanwhile, a  former National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the APC, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, has warned the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu against admitting a factional Chairman of APC in Akwa Ibom state, Mr. Stephen Ntukekpo into the NEC meeting.

 Adamu recently sworn-in the Ntukekpo-led faction as the duly elected executive of the party in Akwa Ibom State after the defunct Caretaker Committee led by Yobe state Governor, Mai Mala Buni had sworn in Mr. Augustine Ekanem alongside other 36 state Chairmen of the party.

But Akpanudoedehe, in a letter through his counsel, Taiwo E. Taiwo (SAN) warned that admitting Ntukekpo into the NEC meeting  would constitute a further non-compliance and total disregard to the extant orders of the Court of Appeal.

The former party scribe in a letter dated April 19, addressed to Adamu, a copy of which was made available to journalists yesterday  said the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja made an order on the 7th of April, 2022 directing that the status quo be maintained with regards to the judgment of the trial Court pending the determination of the extant motion for stay of execution as well as the motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the appeal.

He said: “We gather from him that the said Order was served on your Legal Department on the 11 of April, 2022 besides the fact that you were represented by your counsel in court when the Order was made as is apparent on the face of the Order.

“We further gather from him that in spite of the order, the 1st Respondent (Mr. Stephen Leo Ntukekpo presented himself to the party to be sworn in as the Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the party and was obliged by the party. This was done despite the fact that both Stephen Leo Ntukekpo and the party are parties in the Appeal and therefore bound by the order of the Honourable Court of Appeal as it were.”

Akpanudoedehe said thereafter, Ntukekpo proceeded to Akwa Ibom State to swear in some other people as members of his Executive Council both at the State and Local Government Levels, thereby further altering in a serial manner the status quo that was ordered to be maintained by the Court of Appeal.

He added: “Our client further Informed us and we verily believe him that the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party has been scheduled to hold on the 20th April, 2022.

“Take notice therefore that the attendance of the meeting by the 1st Respondent (Mr. Stephen Leo Ntukekpo) parading himself as the Akwa Ibom State Executive Chairman of the party shall constitute a further serial breach and or noncompliance with the extant order of the Court of Appeal.

“We therefore advise against admitting him into the NEC meeting as doing otherwise would constitute a further non-compliance and total disregard to the extant orders of the Court of Appeal. Be warned.”