Barring any last minute hitch, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), will hold its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Friday.

The party’s last NEC meeting was held in August last year, where it decided on the mode its primaries. A few months after the meeting, the current leadership of the party came into being.

The APC Constitution stipulates the NEC meeting of the party should be held quarterly. However, the leadership of the party has not adhered to this provision and is causing ripples in some quarters.

It would be recalled that the Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Salihu Moh’ Lukuman, last week, issued a statement demanding that the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, should convene a NEC meeting or resign. According to Lukuman, the APC NWC was running the party illegally without the other decision making organs of the party’s contributions.

The DG emphasized that the work of the NWC was administrative, in the sense that it implements the decisions of NEC, Caucus and National Convention of the party and also makes recommendations to these organs.

He maintained that the usurpation of the functions of the other organs of the party had led to the unre solved crisis in the party.

However, the views and statement of the PGF DG had not gone down well with some members of the party, especially the Forum of APC state chairmen.

The Forum, on Thursday, issued a letter condemning the statement issued by the Progressive Governors’ Forum DG against Oshiomhole.

The Forum went further, calling for his sack by the Governors’ Forum.

But speaking yesterday, a party chieftain said that the letter of the DG was timely even though some persons said that the NWC had fixed a NEC meeting before the demand of the PGF DG.

The party chieftain who spoke in confidence to Sunday Telegraph said without people like Lukuman, it would have been difficult for the party to hold the NEC meeting. According to him, the recent statement of the DG would be the second demanding for NEC.

Also, another party chieftain who spoke in confidence said the NEC meeting would have many items on its agenda.

According to him, the suspension of the former governors of Imo and Ogun states, Senator Rochas Okorocha and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, respectively, would be discussed.

Also suspended by the NWC members are: Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu; the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu; the APC Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Lawal Shuiabu; the APC National Vice Chairman, North West, Inuwa Abdulkadir, and recently, the state party chairman of Edo State, Hon. Anslem Ojezua.

The governors were suspended for alleged anti – party activities during the general elections campaign, last year.

Other issues that would be tabled for discussion would be the financial records of the general elections. The NWC members had at one of their meetings with the President; Muhammadu Buhari briefed him on the expenses of the campaign.

Speaking, the party chieftain said his fear is whether the President would be in attendance or not. According to him, if the President would not be in attendance, party members may not have the right to speak and those that would speak might not speak freely and decisions reached may not be binding as they might be changed by the President.

He said, “The NEC meeting will make or break APC.

“There would be a lot of horse trading and the ability of NEC to discuss freely and take far reaching decisions not minding whose ox is gored would assist the party to stand stronger.

“I expect that all the governors will be in attendance at the meeting.”

The meeting would also take decision on when and how the vacant positions of NWC would be filled.

The vacant positions in the NWC to filled are: Deputy National Chairman South, National Secretary, National Auditor. The Deputy National Chairman North, Senator Lawal Shuiabu and National Vice Chairman North West, Inuwa Abdulkadir, are on suspension.

Among those that would be attending the NEC are the leadership of the 9th National Assembly who are members of APC.

This would be the first time they would be attending the APC NEC as the party had not held a NEC meeting since they were inaugurated in June.

(Sunday Telegraph)

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