National Chairman of the Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has been given two options to choose between calling for National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to resolve party’s challenges now or resign.
Giving this ultimatum was governors elected on the platform of the party, who believe that the Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) is currently a shadow of itself as it has lost virtually all its members either to “contestable” suspensions or ministerial appointments by the Federal Government of President Muhammadu Buhari thereby creating challenges for the party.
They expressed concern that the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, being the organ vested with the statutory responsibility of responding to challenges facing the party, has been stylishly suspended indefinitely by Oshiomhole as, according to them, the party national chairman has continued to fail to call for the NEC meeting to hold.
Noting that the last time such a meeting held was August 2018, the progressives governors accused Oshiomhole, who since the built up to the 2019 general elections has been blamed for the problems of the APC which cost the party victories in its strongholds like Zamfara, Oyo, Ondo and Imo states, of leading an NWC that now usurps the powers of the NEC.
In a statement signed by the Director-General, APC Governors’ Forum, Mr Salihu Lukman in Abuja on Wednesday, the forum said that Oshiomhole should either respect the provision of party constitution and convene a NEC meeting to deliberate on the party’s challenges.
“Somehow, unfortunately, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party, which is the organ vested with the statutory responsibility of responding to all these challenges appears to be suspended.
“The last time it met was August 2018. In its place, the National Working Committee (NWC), which is an administrative organ with the responsibility of implementing decisions of NEC and other higher organs seems to have usurped the powers of NEC.
“Sadly, even the NWC, as at today, is a shadow of itself, as it has lost many members either on accounts of appointment into government or controversial suspension.
“For instance, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Deputy National Chairman (South) is today a Minister of the Federal Republic.
“Sen. Lawal Shuaibu, Deputy National Chairman (North) is allegedly suspended. Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, National Vice Chairman (North West) is similarly suspended,” he said.
Lukman recalled that in June 2019, the NWC allegedly suspended Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo.
He added that during the 2019 general elections, on accounts of the roles of former governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun against the candidates of the party, they were similarly suspended.
According to him, whether all these actions are permissible by provisions of the APC’s constitution is highly contestable.
“Why should all these be allowed to happen? Why is it impossible to convene a NEC or even National Caucus meetings, which are supposed to hold every quarter to resolve all these issues?
“Why should the NWC in Oshiomhole’s leadership continue to imagine that it can conduct affairs of the party without mandatory meetings of party organs?
“What legacy is Oshiomhole hoping to achieve as a national chairman by running the party in a way that suggests almost zero commitment to issues of party development?
“Our national leaders must rise to the challenge facing us as a party and take all necessary measures to convene superior organ meetings to begin to resolve all our challenges as a party,” he said.
