The much talked about National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is scheduled to hold on Tuesday at the party National secretariat with President Muhammadu Buhari in attendance.
The meeting is the third meeting of the body since the inauguration of the APC led federal government with the last meeting taking place in March 2016 against the mandatory quarterly meeting.
The NEC meeting has been postponed on two previous occasioned after invitations had been sent out, but as at the time of this report, security details were seen putting finishing touches to security Arrangement around the APC secretariat.
Ahead of the meeting, the National Working Committee were said to have held a meeting with state Chairmen of the party on Sunday apparently to drum up support with a view to averting the alleged plot to unseat the chairman.
Women leaders of the party were also seen at a meeting with the National Women Leander ahead of the meeting at the party secretariat probably to agree on a common position to be presented to the meeting.
Those who are statutorily expected at the NEC meeting include President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker Suleiman Yusuf Lasun, members of the National Working Committee and their deputies, Leader of the Physically challenged, Zonal Secretaries, zonal organizing secretaries, zonal women leaders and State Chairmen.
Others include State Governors who are members of the party, Majority Leader, party Whips and their Deputies in both the Senate and House of Representatives, two serving Senators from each of her six geopolitical zone, three members of the House of Representatives from the six geopolitical zone, six ex-officio members and Serving Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Secretary of the Board of Trustees.
However, since the inception of the party, it has not inaugurated its Board of Trustees, while the last NEC meeting mandated a review of the party constitution to change the name of the BOT to Elders Council with a view to trimming down the membership to what it termed manageable size.
Article 25 (B) of the party constitution states that the National Executive Committee shall meet every quarter and or at any time decided by the National, Chairman or at the request made in writing by at least two third of the members of the National, Executive Committee provided that not less than 14 days notice is given for the meeting to be summoned.
The quorum for the meeting, according to the APC constitution shall be one-third of its members.
The meeting may deliberate on the crisis in various states of the federation with a view to rectifying or upturning the suspension of some members of the party such as National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Timi Frank, Senator Shehu Sani among others.
Party sources told our correspondent that at a recent meeting of the National Working Committee and state governors, the governors present expressed concern over the absence of south-west governors and their apathy to the party meeting, suggesting that something is done to placate them.
The governors were said to have also expressed concern about the absence of most of the governors from the north from the meeting.
It is also expected to consider the recommendation of the National Working Committee to merge the non-elective convention with the elective convention in view of the expiration of the tenure of the Oyegun led leadership in April 2018.
The National Working Committee is reported to have suggested that in view of the financial situation of the party and the closeness of the two conventions, both be merged and held between February and April 2018.
The poor state of the party’s finances, complains of marginalization especially from key members of the party and supporters as well as the direction of the party ahead of the 2019 elections is expected to top the agenda of the party.
State governors of the party are said to be complaining that they are not being carried along in the running of the country by the President, especially when it comes to making appointments from their states.
Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong who spoke the mind of the governors at a recent outing in Abuja said the government is making appointments from their states without seeking their input, adding that those who do not have the capacity to defend the actions of the President have been the ones benefiting from the federal government to appointments.
The governor said the government must be made aware that things are not working the way they should, saying “If things are wrong they are wrong, if they are right they are right. But it requires very courageous people to come out and say these thongs are wrong or they are right.
“Let the Mr. President be aware that this is the time to do it because even as governors we are also complaining in our various state, we are saying it. We complained in our states that we sit down and we hear appointment made and then people start asking you as the governor where is this man coming from?
“But when we turn right and turn left, we don’t know where such a person is coming from. Many people have complained. I’m sure governors have complained that we should be able to know who and who will Protect Mr. President and his administration.
“When I heard that BSO is coming back again, I said is it not too late because if you allow people to grumble too much, you will see a fight in several states and some of them are for a just course.
“Somebody suffered for the party, the person is not rewarded and you wake up to see another man who even fought you, the man who made you to lose your job is now being appointed and the one who suffered is sitting down.
Sometimes he will be looking for tears to cry and the tears will not be there because they are dry.
“Like our chairman said to me, it is not too late. This is the time to start because this is the time you will hear a lot of things coming. People who have not serve will come back and say I had served this way, I had served that way but the records are there. The records can not tell lie. If it is true that they served this way, they served that way let the record.”
