There is much apprehension among party members as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting this week, after a long while.
The last meeting of NEC of the party was held in August 2023, where the present National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje and National Secretary, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru were brought in.
For some party members, the refusal of the National Working Committee(NWC) to call for a NEC meeting was total violation of the party’s constitution.
The party constitution provides for a quarterly NEC meeting and also emergency NEC meeting with a notice of 7 days.
However, the party could not hold a NEC meeting in 2024 for fear of the NWC of the party being reshuffled.
After the nomination of the National Chairman, the North Central members of the party engaged in agitation that Ganduje should be sacked and replaced with somebody from North Central as the APC National Chairmanship position was zoned to North Central.
The agitation for the removal of Ganduje was championed by party members from Plateau, Benue, Kogi and Nassarawa states.
Also, the allegations of corruption against Ganduje from Kano State had also contributed the push for his removal.
Ganduje was governor of Kano State for eight years and was dragged to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after his tenure over corruption allegations.
Some party members had gone to court to seek the removal of Ganduje as the National Chairman.
In preparation for his replacement, the names of the former Deputy of Governor of Nassarawa State, Silas Agara (Nassarawa State); APC Deputy National Secretary, Festus Fuanter (Plateau State); Kogi State former governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello (Kogi state) and former Nassarawa State Governor, Senator Tanko Al-Makura were mentioned.
The party had scheduled a NEC meeting for October last year and it was cancelled for the alleged fear that the NWC was going to be dissolved and a Caretaker committee constituted.
However, the leadership of the party was quick to dismiss such insinuation, as they had said that the absence of the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the country had necessitated the cancellation of the meeting.
But party members did not stop agitating for NEC meeting as they had accused the NWC of usurping the functions of NEC.
The Party’s NEC is the second highest decision making body of the party after the National Convention.
A party member, Salihu Ibrahim, speaking, said that the NEC would bring about rejigging of the NWC or setting up of a Caretaker committee.
According to him, the reason that the Presidency gave all the NWC members chairmanship of a board was to settle them.
He argued that the Presidency believes that no NWC member is in control of the party in his state or can influence APC victory in his local government or the state.
He further posited that the NWC members have not done much to counter oppositions in their states, as the ruling party is losing political influences in the states.
He said that for the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, he has no hold of Kano State for APC. Also with the Deputy National Chairman, (South), Enugu State, National Secretary, (Osun State), Deputy National Secretary (Plateau State) and other NWC members were not in control of their states.
“The only NWC member that has influence and can win election convincingly for the party is the Deputy National Chairman (North) Borno State.”
The party chieftain further argued that the NWC members were part of the crisis of the party in their states because of their ambitions.
“If you go to the states of the NWC members, you will have one party crisis or the other, which involves them.
“Their inability to unite the party in their states would also be part of their undoing.”
Another party chieftain, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also accused the NWC of corruption.
According to him, the NWC has never conducted any primary election that is devoid of corruption.
He cited the Edo governorship primaries as an example, where the party conducted it twice because of allegations of corruption.
At the beginning of this year, it was allegedly reported that monies were collected on behalf of the NWC by some aides of the National Chairman and did not get to the NWC members.
Maduka said that the decision of the NEC to retain the NWC members or remove them would determine how strong APC would be ahead of 2027 general election.