Ruling party poorly funded as leaders devise funding scheme

The All Progressives Congress (APC) leadership has agreed on a new funding mechanism that would be based on continuous membership registration across the country to raise funds for the party.

Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, APC National Publicity Secretary, made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

He said this was part of resolutions reached at the end of a closed door meeting between the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and Governors elected on the party`s platform.

He said the meeting which was chaired by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the party`s National Chairman, was used to review the party`s state and x-ray its challenges in relation to funding and financing.

He added that it was agreed at the meeting that the party was not effectively funded as it should be.

Abdullahi said a new funding mechanism was, therefore, devised based on a planned continuous membership registration exercise across the country.

According to him, the meeting agreed that this is the only sustainable way to fund the party.

He added that the meeting discussed the situations in some of the party`s state chapters and also agreed that an effective conflict resolution mechanism be put in place.

This, the APC spokesman added, was to stem the tide of internal dissension and resolve existing issues.

He said the meeting also resolved to launch a project to showcase the accomplishments of APC Governors in all the 24 states controlled by the party.

According to him, the party`s forthcoming non-elective National Convention was also discussed at the meeting which agreed that the convention be held on April 29.

He said that though the meeting acknowledged that President Muhammadu Buhari had been away longer than was originally envisaged, the party commended him for following the rule of law.

The meeting, however, commended the President for following the rule of law by allowing the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to assume proper leadership.

According to him, by so doing the President has saved the country the kind of trauma that was experienced in the past.

He commended the Acting President, the leadership of the National Assembly and all APC Governors for standing strong and ensuring that government continued to run smoothly in the President`s absence.

He also prayed to the Almighty God to bring the President back in good health.