The details of what happen at the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, on Tuesday,presided by the president has been noted as they conveyed an emergency National Executive Council, NEC, meeting.
The meeting held at the State House, Abuja, was to dissolve the National Working Committee and constitute a 13-member Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee.
President Muhammadu Buhari who presided over the meeting called members of the APC to collectively work towards the sustenance of peace in the party.
Buhari pointed out that the decision of the party’s NEC to dissolve the former NWC and constitute a 13-member Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, back in June 25, 2020, has paid off already as members now enjoy a new atmosphere of peace.
Buhari noted that healthy debates are now taking place among members and the potential for organs of the party to affirm majority positions as the decision of the party is now possible.
Speaking further, the President said that “What is required now is for all of us, as leaders of the party, to maintain discipline and ensure that this new momentum is protected, sustained and that decisions of party organs are respected by every member.”
According to him, despite the challenges the party has faced lately to restore internal peace and the series of elections at hand, the APC has gained more members.
Buhari further boasted that the ruling party is not losing members to the PDP under the present interim leadership indicates improvement for the party.
He called on all members to try and make required sacrifices that will collectively restore a progressive and democratic political party, which can nurture and give expression to the dream of building a strong, united and developed Nigeria.
The President reminded party members of the principles of maturity and respect that founded the party and spurred it to victory in 2015:
“In those times, decisions reached at both formal and informal consultations were respected. We trusted initiatives taken and believed that they were required to produce the needed political platform that could guarantee electoral victory. Every one of us as leaders ensured that those decisions were respected.
“I have, through consultations with the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee and other leaders of the Party, agreed that our challenges in the party require that we take steps to rebuild the Party from Ward to National levels.
“The initiative to carry out membership registration/revalidation is therefore a necessary step. Membership registration/revalidation will lay the foundation for re-organizing our leadership, from Ward to Local Government, State and National levels.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee said the reconciliation effort in the party had yielded positive results, with many old members returning, and new members being recorded, most recently the Governor of Ebonyi State.
Following the President’s instructions, Buni noted that almost all pending cases in courts instituted by members had been withdrawn to create “neutral ground’’ for discussions, while a time table for membership registration and revalidation exercise will be released, after initial sensitization.
“Many Nigerians have turned 18 and they will be interested in joining our party,’’ the Governor of Yobe State added.
Among resolutions adopted at the NEC meeting were: extension of the tenure of the Caretaker Committee by another six months, to last till June 30, 2021, expulsion of Mr Hilliard Etta, former Vice Chairman, South South, for not heeding the directive of the party that all legal cases be withdrawn from the courts, granting of waiver to those who have joined, or want to join the APC, and dissolution of party structures at polling unit, ward, local government, zonal, state levels, with members of the dissolved executive to serve as caretaker members.