As APC Holds One NEC Meeting in 18 Months

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress has scheduled its National Executive Committee meeting for Wednesday, February 26, the first in the last one and half years. Adedayo Akinwale writes.

If the notice issued by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is anything to go by, the ruling party will hold its National Caucus meeting  on Tuesday, February 25, while the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday, February 26, 2025, 18 months after the last meeting was held.

The National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Bashiru, in  a notice issued last Friday said the Caucus meeting is billed to hold at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa by 6 pm on Tuesday, while the NEC meeting will take place at the party’s national secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja.

The notice read: “Notice is hereby given for the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party. Note that the National Executive Committee (NEC) is one of the organs of the Party under Article 11 of the party’s constitution.”

While the party indicated that all arrangement for the party’s NEC meeting has been concluded, party chieftains are cautious

considering the last-minute cancellation of the caucus and NEC meetings scheduled to hold  on September 11 and 12, 2024.

The last time the ruling party held NEC meeting was on August 3, 2023 when its former chairman, Senator Abdulahi Adamu and Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore were  forced to resign their positions, with Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje and Basiru drafted in to pilot the affairs of the party.

The ruling party’s constitution stipulates that: “The National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two-thirds of the members of the NEC provided that not less than 14 days’ notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.”

“Without prejudice to Article 25(B)(i) of this Constitution, the NWC may summon an emergency NEC meeting at any time, provided that at least seven days’ notice of the meeting shall be given to all those entitled to attend.”

But in clear violation of its constitution, the ruling party has not held the NEC meeting for 18 months.

Expectedly, the failure of the party leadership to organise NEC meetings in the past 18 months has created bad blood within the party considering the fact that the NEC meeting is supposed to be held every quarter according to the party’s constitution.

This development was one of the reasons why the former National Vice Chairman North-West of the party, Dr. Salihu Lukman resigned his membership, while the immediate past governor of Kaduna state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai recently launched attacks against the party for the same reason.

While some chieftains of the party have voiced their frustration over the inability of the leadership of the party to organise NEC meetings, others preferred to grumble.

El-Rufai recently said the affairs of the ruling party was being directed by illiterates, semi illiterates and cunning people as leaders.

 “I no longer recognise the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show. You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today,” he had said.

Responding to El-Rufai’s claim on national television, APC National Secretary maintained that the opinion expressed by the former governor was based on fiction and outright  fallacies.

Basiru explained that the party has about nine organs including executives at the unit level, ward level, local government, state, zonal level, NWC, NEC, national caucus, National Advisory Council and the convention.

He was of the opinion that the fact that the national caucus and NEC have not met for about two years should not be used as a barometer to say other organs of the party are not functioning.

The national secretary said, “That is not true. I was elected at the NEC of our meeting held on August 3, 2023. Is 2023 August 3, up to two years? The answer is No!. So to say that NEC has not met in the past two years is to fit into the falsehood of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.

“I wouldn’t want to get distracted with the fallacious statement of Mallam Nasir el-Rufai. We are focused on winning the election in Anambra, on retaining power in Ekiti state, and, of course, sensing the marauders in Osun. That’s the focus, I will not let anybody distract us from our objective as a political party.”

Nevertheless, analysts believe that while there was no doubt that the leadership of the party has flagrantly violated the party’s constitution, they were of the opinion that no date for  NEC or caucus meeting could be fixed by the NWC without a green light from the President, who is the leader of the party.

With the caucus meeting of the ruling party on the cards on Tuesday, one of the issues expected to be considered is to fix a date to organise a non-elective convention in accordance with the party’s constitution.

For emphasis, Article 25(A)(i) of the APC Constitution specifies that, “The National Convention of the party shall be held in two years at a date, venue and time to be recommended by the National Working Committee (NWC) and approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC), subject to giving statutory notices to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and at least, 14 days’ notice given to members eligible to attend.”

Checks revealed that the proposed non-elective convention, which is one of the issues to be discussed during the National Caucus meeting on Tuesday may have laid to rest speculations and uncertainty about the future of the current national officers of the party.

Ever since President Tinubu appointed members of the NWC of the party into the boards of federal government agencies, there had been rumours that their days in office may be numbered. But the agenda for the caucus meeting appeared to have put that to rest.

Other issues for consideration and adoption at the NEC meeting include the party’s financial and audit reports for the 2022/2023 fiscal year, the budget proposal for 2025, and more importantly, the up-to-date payment of check-off dues by the National Assembly members and federal appointees, who are members of the ruling party.

Besides, NEC members at the meeting would also be briefed on the concluded off-cycle gubernatorial elections held since the 2023 general elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, Imo, Edo, and Ondo states, as well as the run-off elections, and preparation ahead of the November 8, 2025 governorship poll in Anambra State.

The agenda for the Caucus meeting also include the issue of the standing committees, a presentation on the establishment of The Progressive Institute (TPI), membership e-registration and a report from the national legal adviser over the various litigations involving the ruling party still pending before the court of law.

According to the constitution of the party, those expected at the caucus meeting include the party’s national chairman, who will lead other nine NWC members, comprising deputy national chairman for North and South, national secretary, legal adviser, treasurer, organising secretary, women leader, youth leader, and leader of persons living with disabilities.

Others expected are former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and his deputy,  Jubril Barau, past and incumbent state governors and former national chairmen and secretaries of the ruling party.