By Daniel Edu
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) national caucus meeting held on Wednesday, attention has now shifted to the upcoming National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting. The gathering will primarily address the longstanding crisis within the APC and the nomination of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, former Governor of Kano State, and Senator Ajibola Basiru, Spokesperson for the ninth Senate.
The NEC meeting, scheduled to take place at 11.00 am at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, is expected to be attended by prominent figures of the party. Besides President Bola Tinubu, other heavyweight APC chieftains anticipated include former President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Senator Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC governors, former Senate president Ahmad Lawan, ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, and members of the National Working Committee.
Given the presence of the president and other party leaders, heavy security and convoys are expected to be in place.
While the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, has not responded to inquiries, the APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, expressed the party leadership’s enthusiasm for the NEC meeting. Ibrahim didn’t provide extensive details on how the NEC plans to ratify the choice of Ganduje and Basiru. He simply highlighted that both candidates are legitimate members of the party with the right to aspire to various political positions.
A reliable source at the presidency disclosed that the NEC meeting would also address the ongoing crisis within the party leadership and likely approve the nomination of Ganduje as the national chairman and Basiru as the secretary. The NEC may work as a substitute for a convention and make ultimate decisions regarding these appointments. However, the positions of welfare officer, deputy national publicity secretary, and Vice Chairman for North-West, left vacant by Lukman’s resignation, are expected to be filled by the NWC.
Meanwhile, a prominent APC member, Abdul Onusi, has shown support for the selection of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje as the national chairman. Onusi believes that Ganduje’s dedication and hard work for the party make him a deserving candidate. Additionally, Onusi urged Bola Tinubu, another influential figure in the party, to consider rewarding some of his former presidential campaign coordinators, specifically mentioning Dr. Abubakar Gamji and James Faleke, with federal appointments.
The nomination of Ganduje has sparked mixed feelings among party members, and Onusi’s statement highlights the importance of recognizing and rewarding the efforts of loyal party members. The upcoming NEC meeting will play a crucial role in resolving the party’s internal crisis and determining the future leadership.
