Rumble in Nigeria's ruling party, APC as Buhari backs Oyegun's tenure elongation

From the reported occurrence at the last National Executive Committee meeting of Nigeria's ruling party, All Progressive Congress, APC, there is fire on the mountain.

Nigeria's president, Muhammadu Buhari had shocked party leaders when he expressed his support for the tenure elongation of the party's chairman, John Oyegun. This move led to a rowdy session as party leaders reacts.

Backing the tenure elongation of party executives which expires in June 2018 till June 2019, Buhari said a Caretaker Committee cannot remedy the situation, and cannot validly act in place of elected officers.

"I think if we deviate from the constitutional provisions, we might be endangering the fortunes of our party. If the tenure of our party executives can be legally faulted, then it means that any nominations and primary elections that they may conduct, can also be faulted.

"This is not to talk of divisions that would arise, and is already arising within the party, when some of our members feel that they are being denied the right to aspire to executive positions, or that internal democracy is not at play within the party," he said in parts.

The rowdy session

The president's speech had seen aggrieved party leaders displaying their dissatisfaction and anger at his stand on the matter.

The session became rowdy at some point when members of NEC shouted down the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, for saying there was no need to debate the issue since the President had spoken.

So rowdy was the session that the APC National Chairman threatened to use his powers to walk out members if they continued to be unruly and disrespectful to the President who was at the meeting.

APC's national legal adviser, Ondo governor insist Buhari's position is sub judice

Meanwhile the APC’s National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire, had reportedly tried to dismiss the constitutional queries raised by the President on the tenure elongation.

Banire had reportedly said NEC relied on powers conferred on it by Section 13.3 of the party’s constitution.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria also argued that the Buhari’s position was sub judice, because the matter was already in court.

In the same vein, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu aligned himself with the legal position espoused by Banire.

Akeredolu added that the decision was subjected to a vote with 104 members voting in favour and four against the decision.

Rumble in Nigeria's ruling party, APC as Buhari backs Oyegun's tenure elongation

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