NEC may okay Ganduje as APC chair Thursday

Forum 9 months ago

NEC may okay Ganduje as APC chair Thursday

There are fresh indications that the immediate-past governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Adamu, and the spokesperson for the ninth Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru, may be announced on Thursday as the acting National Chairman and Secretary, respectively, of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The National Executive Committee of the APC meets on Thursday. It was gathered that the leadership of the party may decide at the NEC meeting.

On Sunday, the banners of the immediate-past APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, were replaced with congratulatory billboards carrying Ganduje’s image at the APC National Secretariat on Blantyre Crescent in Wuse area of Abuja.

Adamu and then APC National Secretary of APC, Iyiola Omisore, three weeks ago tendered their resignation amid a party crisis.

The PUNCH had reported that the National Caucus and NEC meetings, according to an announcement made by the ruling party, will take place on August 2 and 3 respectively.

Although the agenda for the meetings have not been made public, a reliable source in the Presidency told our correspondent that the meetings would serve as avenues to discuss the lingering crisis rocking the party leadership.

“The agenda is out. But there is nothing basic in it. But, of course, some shenanigans will be put up to officially announce the new acting chairman and secretary,” the source said.

Asked if he was certain the ‘new acting chairman and secretary’ would be Ganduje and Basiru, the source said the two remained the preferred choices of the APC governors and President Bola Tinubu.

“We are basically saying the same thing. It is just to announce that these people are now in charge,” he said.

On why the President and the ruling party would allow the National Executive Committee to ratify the incoming leaders instead of a convention, the party stalwart disclosed that he had little say on the matter.

“Well, we were told that the NEC can work in place of a convention. They are the ultimate decision maker.

“If they confirm them (Ganduje), there may be no need for any convention again. But regarding the other vacant positions of Welfare Officer, Deputy National Publicity Secretary and Vice Chairman for North-West left by Lukman, it is hoped that they will give the NWC the power to fill them. That way, they will avoid budgeting again for another mini-convention,” he said.

Efforts to get the reaction of the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, proved abortive.

The APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, however, expressed a contrary view.

Ibrahim maintained that the NWC had not taken an official position on the matter.

He said, “Those who are talking about the likelihood of NEC ratifying candidates to replace the former leaders when it has not been said by the party, it is akin to talks about a coup in a democratic setting. They are mere speculations.’’