The national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday, commended President Muhammadu Buhari’s address during party’s national executive council (NEC) meeting.
He lauded the president’s rejection of the tenure elongation granted elected officials of the party at state and national level by the NEC.
The executive committee had given elected officials, including the John Odigie-Oyegun-led national working committee (NWC) a one-year extension.
This is contained in a statement titled “The President has spoken” that was signed by him.
Tinubu said, “President Buhari’s action saves the party from a serious legal turmoil. If the elongations were deemed illegal, then all subsequent party actions, including the nomination of all of our candidates for elective offices, might also be of questionable legality.
“Such a predicament would constitute an unnecessary and a mortal blow to the party and its role in promoting progressive governance in Nigeria.”
According to Tinubu, the President has affirmed that the APC is a party that adheres to internal democracy.
He said, “The President has spoken. Today is a good day for those who cherish democracy and legality. His action will also strengthen the party by allowing party members, including present incumbents, to seek to contribute to the party by vying for executive offices as they see fit.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, commenting on the extension in his speech, said the move is an illegal one as it contravenes a section of the party’s constitution.
He said: “On my own part, I have taken time to review and seek advice on the resolution and what I found is that it contravenes both our party’s constitution and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“While the APC constitution in Article 17(1) and 13.2 (b) limits the tenure of elected officers to four years, renewable once by another election, the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) in Section 223 proscribes periodic elections for party executives at regular intervals which must not exceed four years.
“Furthermore, Article 31 of our great party’s constitution provides that any principal officer wishing to re-contest, or contest for another post, must resign from his current post at least one month before the election.
“In this circumstance, what is expected of us is to conduct fresh elections once the tenure of the current executives approaches its end.
“A caretaker committee cannot remedy this situation and cannot validly act in place of elected officers.
“Furthermore, I think if we deviate from the constitution and provisions, we might be endangering the fortunes of our party.
“If the tenure of our party executive can be legally faulted, then, it means any nomination and primary election that they will conduct can also be faulted.”
