==============================
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria's ruling party - the All Progressives Congress (APC) - is expeceted to converge on Abuja the country's capital territory today being Tuesday, 31st October 2017.
Rostrm gathered that all eyes would be on President Muhammadu Buhari to either decline or declare his interest for reelection as regards the awaited 2019 presidential poll.
However, while speculations about the second term declaration are rife, there is yet no clear indication that the subject matter would be the crux of discussions at the awaited epochal gathering.
Setting the tone for the speculations penultimate Friday, a group of cabinet ministers and governors of the party mainly from the northern part of the country who refer to themselves as Buharists, opened the Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) campaign office in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
But one of the Buharists, and Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu who was on the entourage to the Villa, hinted that President Buhari is not likely to make his intention known at the NEC meeting.
According to him, “BSO and NCBSG are two brothers of the same family and I belong to both platforms. They share the same goals and common denominator of supporting President Buhari. I was a member of the delegation that met Mr. President and throughout the whole discussion; no mention was made of his declaration for 2019 presidential race. Rather what the documentary we showed gazetted was his achievements and challenges, especially as regards how to bridge the huge infrastructural deficit.
“In his response Mr. President thanked all the support groups for their voluntary efforts and went ahead to thank the international community for their support. He singled out the Chinese for the loans they obliged Nigeria for infrastructural development. It is at this point that he told us that much could have been achieved but for the challenge to source the 15 percent counterpart fund to make up the 85 percent Chinese counterpart fund.
“Therefore, my little knowledge of Mr. President is that he is more preoccupied on how to bridge the huge infrastructural deficit to get Nigerians back to work and not about 2019. He is not the talking type and might not talk about 2019 until when INEC announces the timetable. This is my little understanding, I maybe wrong. It is we the supporters who are urging him to further work on the solid foundation for progress and prosperity that he is laying.”
The latest moves by the Buharists may not be unconnected with the recent declaration by the pioneer interim National Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande that the race for the 2019 presidency is not the exclusive preserve of President Buhari. Akande’s remarks which he made at the South-West APC stakeholders meeting held at the Oyo State Government House, unsettled Buhari loyalists in the party.
The position of Chief Akande, a very close ally of the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu came on the heels of the declaration by the Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan who openly threw her weight behind the bid of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar to vie for the presidency come 2019.
A peep through the minds of some stakeholders revealed that issues highlighted by Atiku, ranging from the inability by the Chief John Odigie-Oyegun-led NWC to convene NEC meeting as well as constitute the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT) might be tabled during today’s meeting.
There could also be talk on the interim report of the Nasiru el-Rufai Committee on restructuring and true federalism during the parley which would also have in attendance, chieftains of the party from the South-South, South-East and South-West geo-political zones where the agitation is most strident.
APC’s spokesperson, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi has already hinted that the report would eventually be forwarded to the National Assembly for consideration in the interest of Nigerians.
The NEC meeting, which was heralded by a caucus meeting that held yesterday being 30th October 2017 at the Presidential Villa, would also afford President Buhari the opportunity to take stock of the successes or failures recorded in the execution of his campaign promises to fix the country’s comatose infrastructure, tackle the spate of insecurity and the fight against corrupt practices in the polity amid challenges of selective graft war as propounded by rights activist and Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani which is already gaining momentum.
It's noteworthy that the reinstatement of the former Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Pension Reform, Abdulrasheed Maina, have cast doubt on the seriousness of the anti-graft campaign.
Decisions are also expected to be reached on the report of the Mr. Muiz Banire committee on the review of the party’s constitution, funding and on the date for the long-awaited convention of the party. Mr. Banire, who is having a running battle with the leadership of the APC in his Lagos State base, is the National Legal Adviser of the party.
Rostrum further gathered that the NEC meeting is equally expected to discuss with a view to resolving crises rocking the state chapters of the party in Kaduna, Kano, Adamawa, Kogi, Ogun, Bauchi, Enugu and Osun states. The party leaders expect the crises in these states and others to feature during deliberations.
Already, there are series of reports on the fact-finding and reconciliation committees on ground for the party leaders to work with as a means of ensuring harmony and cohesion among its members.
Penultimate week, the Enugu State executive members took their protest to the National Secretariat in Abuja faulting the appointment of Ms. Loretta Aniagolu as a Board member of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
In a petition addressed to the President and submitted to the APC leadership, they said they could not fathom why those who worked against the party were being offered appointment to various positions to the detriment of loyal and committed members. They alleged that Ms. Aniagolu was of the opposition PDP who worked assiduously against the victory of APC in Enugu State in the 2015 general elections.
Compiled by: Rostrum
No comments:
Post a Comment