Holding NEC Meetings In APC Is Now Almost Impossible – Salihu Lukman

Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF, Salihu Moh. Lukman has come out to say that it is now simpler to organize a general election in Nigeria than hold a NEC meeting of the All Progressive Congress, APC.

This statement is coming amid the ongoing crisis in the party.

According to him, it is appalling that the National Working Committee NWC of the party has been unable to convene important party meetings despite the obvious need for such gathering.

He added that it is sad that political debates are now reduced to propaganda partly because Nigerians take leadership for granted.

His words, “Just as an illustration, it will be useful to recall one aspect of his (Oshiomhole’s) vision statement, which commits him; ‘To promote internal party democracy, we will ensure that all organs of the party regularly meet, as stipulated by the party’s Constitution. For instance, article 25 of the APC’s Constitution provides that National Convention of the party shall be held once in two years; National Executive Committee NEC every quarter and National Working Committee NWC once every month’.

“What did we experience since his emergence as National Chairman in June 2018? The party’s NEC, which should have met every three months was unable to meet for about fifteen months between August 2018 and November 2019. In between, the positions of Deputy National Chairman (South) and National Secretary, among others, became vacant. To fill those vacancies, a minimum of zonal consensus was required, which should be ratified by NEC. Instead, it was only in March 2020 when the court granted an injunction against Comrade Oshiomhole that the National Working Committee (NWC) announced “appointments” into these vacant positions. This led to more disagreements based on the question of whether the NWC has powers to make those appointments or not.

“We need to recognise and appreciate that, in APC, sycophancy has weakened the capacity of our leaders to convene meetings of organs. It is easier to hold general elections in Nigeria today than for APC to hold NEC meetings. APC National Conventions would appear to only take place when the tenure of leaders expires after four years, notwithstanding the fact that APC constitution also makes provision for mid-term convention after two years. We are supposed to have Board of Trustees and seven years after the emergence of APC, it is yet to be inaugurated. In truth, one can argue that part of the functions of APC leaders, especially members of NWC is to undermine the APC constitution and be able to mobilise APC members and other Nigerians to defend such actions. Somehow, these issues are being ignored in the whole assessments of problems of the party.”