President Muhammadu Buhari must participate in the party primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) should he be interested in seeking a second term in office.
This became obvious at the end of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party on Tuesday, where members rejected a motion seeking adoption of the president as an automatic candidate for the 2019 presidential contest.
The rejection by the NEC in session runs contrary to the opinion of some governors who said before the meeting that the party will give automatic ticket to the president to contest the election.
The governors had said that nobody else in the party is credible enough to fly the flag of the party at the poll but President Buhari.
Also, against all expectations, the national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, who had been under intense pressure to quit office, survived a vote of confidence at the meeting.
However, party members who expect that a convention of the party will hold this year might have to wait a bit longer as indications emerged that the convention might be postponed till next year.
Report of what happened behind closed doors at the meeting was made known to journalists by Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who briefed journalists after the meeting.
Incidentally, the issue of Buhari’s rejection by the NEC was debunked by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, at a press briefing at the end of the NEC meeting as well.
According to Dogara, the NEC meeting was called specifically for the party to take stock of its performance in office vis-a-vis its electoral promises to Nigerians.
The party, he said, in a concise appraisal of its performance in government came to a conclusion that it still has a long way to go.
“The meeting was for stock taking and to remind ourselves of the covenant we made with the people of Nigeria, review how well we have done and what we need to do in order to deliver on the promises we made during campaign.
“I can tell you that after a very illuminating address by the party chairman, the president took turn to address the NEC members and he was very clear in his vision about where we are taking Nigeria to and we reminded ourselves about the achievement we have recorded in terms of combating terrorism in the North East, the fight against corruption which is one area where we are doing very well and the exiting from recession and the achievement the party has recorded.
“While we can say we have done quite a lot, there is still much to be done.
“The resolve is that we should rededicate ourselves as a party to the service of our people and the only thing that will guarantee our place in this country is the service we render to our people”, he said.
When asked about the decision taken on the possibility of giving automatic ticket to President Muhammadu Buhari to contest the election in 2019, Dogara noted that the issue was not on the agenda of the meeting, but that even at that, it was smuggled in, but was tactically defeated by the party members in attendance.
“Today’s meeting was not about 2019 elections. When we talk about 2019 in the context of the agenda you saw, we are talking about membership registrations, the drive for membership and others. We are not talking about elections.
“Even though there was a motion in the floor that calls for a vote of confidence on the president, some of us felt it was not necessary because there is nowhere that his confidence is shaking. But the motion was taken and passed.
“But there was a second leg to that motion which calls for the adoption of the candidature of the president, but it was differed for now and no decision was taken because that is not the major reason why we are here”, he said.
However, the decision taken by the APC NEC runs contrary to the position of the governors who had earlier before entering the meeting, told journalists that President Muhammadu Buhari has been adopted as the candidate of the party for 2019 elections.
The governors believe that President Buhari’s integrity coupled with his performance since 2015 remain unbeatable.
Speaking separately with newsmen at the APC national secretariat before the party’s NEC meeting commenced, Plateau State governor, Simon Lalong, revealed that all the governors have agreed to work for the president’s re-election.
“Concerning the issue of sole ticket for Mr. President, I want to say that if Mr. President is performing, well respected and carrying everybody along, all of us have resolved that we will work for him.
“Do we have any other person that will challenge the president again? Whatever you call it, as far as we are concerned, we have one president and that is the ticket we will fly.”
He assured that the party henceforth will remain united.
“I want to assure you that you won’t see a wrangling party after the meeting. From now onwards, it will be a focused governance from Mr. President and all the governors from the states. We have all resolved to support Mr. President.”
Kebbi State governor, Atiku Bagudu, who was also asked to comment on whether the governors have resolved on automatic ticket for the president said, “The performance of the president in the last two and half years suggest that if he wants to contest, I will certainly support him and I know that our party members feel the same about him.”
Also speaking, Nasarawa State governor, Tanko Al-Makura said, “For anybody to preempt the consensus opinion of the people is to say the least and that is not fair to the vision of our party. I can tell you if there is anything that is clandestine the president will not honour it, so let’s wait and see as we embark on these meetings.
“I believe the consensus and the preponderance of opinion of all party members will be what is good for this country, and we have already known the will of this country, the future of this country as we are now as a country is associated with one person, who is impeccable, who has the greatest amount of integrity that you can find in any human being around, so your guess is as good as mine.”
The Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha, who has been rumored to be nursing a presidential ambition also said he can only drop his ambition because of re-election of President Buhari.
“If Mr. President wants to run for election, he will follow all the processes and if he is the person, we will all support him. In APC, there is no imposition of candidate.
“If Buhari is running, I will allow that man to continue but if he is not running, I won’t sacrifice my presidential ambition.
“Mr. President is showing the right leadership and taking the very right steps and there is reconciliation going on even with nobody talking about it. There is the spirit of reconciliation and people understand their role”, he said.
Abdullahi Diplomatic Over Rejection Of Buhari
Speaking on other issues that were discussed at the meeting, Bolaji Abdullahi tried to mitigate the disaster that befell the president at the NEC meeting as he denied that no specific motion was moved on the reported adoption of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term in office.
“The motion that was put was after the Minister of Agriculture had briefed the NEC about the activities and achievements of his ministry, one of the NEC members said we should move a motion passing a vote of confidence on Mr. President. There was no formal motion moved on the issue of second term for Mr. President.
“Somebody in the crowd shouted that we should move a motion and we don’t even know that member. But the motion that was formally moved was that NEC should pass a vote of confidence on Mr. President and that was after the brief given by the Minister of Agriculture, especially when he said that by 2018, Nigeria will have no need to import a single grain of rice. That is the context and I need you to understand that very well”.
Meanwhile, he disclosed that a vote of confidence was taken on the national chairman of the party, and he got a unanimous positive vote.
Dogara had earlier in his brief told journalists that the NEC considered a paper on the convention of the party, but could not come to a conclusion on the issue as there seems no time for it to be held this year.
“There was paper on the line of activities that the party is meant to embark upon. There wasn’t a definitive and conclusive date on the party convention because it is something in the work and judging from yesterday’s meeting (national caucus) I understand that the party will fine tune this and then there will be another round of meeting where the specifics and details will be approved”, he said.
Buhari To Reshuffle Cabinet Soon, Constitute Boards Of Agencies
Meanwhile, a cabinet reshuffle may soon be executed by President Muhammadu Buhari with a view to injecting more party support in the running of his government.
The president’s promise is contained in his speech to the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held on Tuesday.
Newsmen were, however, not allowed to listen to the president read the speech as the national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, asked journalists out of the meeting hall before the president was called up to read his speech at the opening session of the meeting.
The speech was, however, made available to newsmen afterward.
Also, Odigie-Oyegun did not make any remark before asking journalists to leave the meeting hall.
The president also assured that appointments will be made into boards of different parastatals which have been dissolved for months and left fallow, as well as those that are still being occupied by people appointed by the last administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan which are yet to be dissolved.
The president noted that the appointments will be made because the economy is now buoyant and there are resources to take care of what it takes to run the agencies.
In the prepared text, the president said, “I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the grace of God these appointments will be announced soon. Especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the resources to cater for the appointees.
“By the same token, the compressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at federal level, with fresh ideas to be injected into the government.”
At the Tuesday’s APC NEC meeting, about 21 governors, members of National Assembly led by Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara, state chairmen and members of the National Working Committee were in attendance.
It was the third NEC meeting since the party came to power in 2015.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was expected at the meeting was absent, but sources close to him said he was out of the country.
Those in attendance include Governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Jibrilla Bindo (Adamawa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna).
Others are Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).
The senators present at the meeting included Senate President Bukola Saraki; Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan; Senate Minority Whip, Francis Alimikhena; Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Binta Garba, Andy Ubah, Magnus Abbe, Dino Melaye, Ahmed Sani Yerima, Gbenga Ashafa and Barnabas Gemade.
From the House of Representatives came Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun; House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Whip, Ado Dogowa, among others.
Pioneer national chairman of the party, Bisi Akande; Minister of Agriculture, Audi Ogbe; FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello and Special Adviser to the Vice President on Political Matter, Babafemi Ojodu, were also in attendance.
The president lamented the delay in reconstituting boards of federal parastatals despite his promise to do so, pointing out that the delay was as a result of attempt to get the balance right and make sure all parts of the country are represented.
The president said he was aware supporters of the party are very eager for these appointments to be announced, and promised that by “the grace of God these appointments will be announced soon.”
“Let me on a personal note thank you all for your prayers and good wishes, which the Almighty Allah answered in the restoration of my health. I wish to thank you all party leaders for helping to keep the government running smoothly during my prolonged absence.
“I would like to start by commending our party leadership chaired by His Excellency, Chief John Oyegun. The chairman and I worked harmoniously during 1984-85 in a previous government. Happily, circumstances have brought us again to positions of leadership in the country.
“I want to thank Chief Oyegun and his staff for steering the party in the last two and a half years. Sometimes it is easier to manage failure than to manage success – and a big success such as that we have achieved.
“I must also commend the leadership of the National Assembly led by Senate President, His Excellency, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Rt. Hon. Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara. I must place on record the cooperation and understanding of the National Assembly including some non-APC members who rose above petty party interests and acted in the national interest.
“My deep thanks also go to our state governors who faced stiff challenges, especially their determination to maintain unity and tolerance among our communities. This is in the face of unnecessary politically motivated strife and violence. Credit should go to APC governors for extending their hand of fellowship to their colleagues from other parties.
“In my remarks to the caucus meeting yesterday, I enumerated the progress that our government has made in the implementation of the programmes of government and the party manifesto.
“We can be proud of our achievements in the last two years, Boko Haram, Niger Delta, regular fuel, improved power, TSA, agriculture, and fertilizer, above all, the knowledge that corruption will not be tolerated in this government. We all know there is change.
“Nigeria’s prestige has gone up, Nigeria is now creditworthy, a clear testimony of which was the over-subscription of the Euro-Bond by four times. Nevertheless, we are not resting on our achievements. I am quite aware of the challenges before us.
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“Last year, I said we would re-constitute the boards of parastatals. I must regret the fact that we have not done so, for many reasons.
“Some of us in this meeting may know I had given instructions since October 2015 for this exercise to start. But there have been inordinate delays through several committees in an attempt to get the balance right and to make sure all parts of the country are equitably represented.
“Let me thank you all again for the commitment and dedicated service to our party and to remind you that much more will be required of you in the coming months. I hope we can continue to depend on you. If we keep united and rise above petty or personal quarrels, we will surely achieve the desired change in the country.”
Before the meeting, a mild drama played out at the entrance to the APC secretariat as the presidential guard on duty insisted that the governors will be dropped at the gate, while they walk into the secretariat.
Security aides attached to Governor Yahaya Bello who was the first to arrive the secretariat for the meeting engaged in a shouting match which almost resulted in a fisticuffs.
Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdulaziz Yari, was furious that his colleagues were asked to walk into the secretariat, insisting that they be allowed to be driven in, while the cars are taken out later, but the head of the security team told him that “it will not work that way.”
The post 2019: APC NEC Rejects Automatic Ticket For Buhari appeared first on Independent Nigeria.
Source: Daily Independent
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