APC governors demand Oshiomhole to call NEC meeting

All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors Forum has called on the party’s National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole to call for National Executive Council (NEC) meeting to resolve party’s challenges.

In a statement signed by its Director-General, Mr Salihu Lukman in Abuja on Wednesday, the forum said that Oshiomhole should either respect the provision of party constitution and convene a meeting to deliberate on the party’s challenges.

“Somehow, unfortunately, the National Executive Council (NEC) of the party, which is the organ vested with the statutory responsibility of responding to all these challenges appear to be suspended.

“The last time it met was August 2018. In its place, the National Working Committee (NWC), which is an administrative organ with the responsibility of implementing decisions of NEC and other higher organs seems to have usurped the powers of NEC.

“Sadly, even the NWC, as at today, is a shadow of itself, as it has lost many members either on accounts of appointment into government or controversial suspension.

“For instance, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Deputy National Chairman (South) is today a Minister of the Federal Republic.

“Sen. Lawal Shuaibu, Deputy National Chairman (North) is allegedly suspended. Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, National Vice Chairman (North West) is similarly suspended,” he said.

Lukman recalled that in June 2019, the NWC allegedly suspended Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo.

He added that during the 2019 general elections, on accounts of the roles of former governors Rochas Okorocha and Ibikunle Amosun against the candidates of the party, they were similarly suspended.

According to him, whether all these actions are permissible by provisions of the APC’s constitution is highly contestable.

“Why should all these be allowed to happen? Why is it impossible to convene a NEC or even National Caucus meetings, which are supposed to hold every quarter to resolve all these issues?

“Why should the NWC in Oshiomhole’s leadership continue to imagine that it can conduct affairs of the party without mandatory meetings of party organs?

“What legacy is Oshiomhole hoping to achieve as a national chairman by running the party in a way that suggests almost zero commitment to issues of party development?

“Our national leaders must rise to the challenge facing us as a party and take all necessary measures to convene superior organ meetings to begin to resolve all our challenges as a party,” he said.