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Ndubuisi Orji and Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, berated the Presidency for denying that the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was held inside the chambers of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
President Muhammadu Buhari had, last Thursday, presided over NEC meeting of the APC in the council chambers, which had in attendance nine governors, National Assembly leaders as well as some party members.
The PDP, in a statement said it was unfortunate that the Presidency would post a denial even when the media is awash with photographs and videos of the APC NEC meeting inside the FEC chambers, where President Muhammadu Buhari presided.
“It is a fact before Nigerians that the meeting was physical and only virtual to the extent that some members of the APC NEC members were linked via conference call…What Nigerians expected of the Buhari Presidency and the APC, was to tender an unreserved apology to the nation and desist from further desecration of our national values and official conduct requirements,” the opposition party.
The president had also been accused of taking advantage of his position in the State House to deploy national facilities for party affairs.
But the Presidency said the chambers was chosen because the meeting was virtual, and it had the facilities for social distancing.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement, said the criticism was borne out of lack of understanding, arguing that no law specifies the type of meeting that should be held in the State House and which should not.
“The stubborn opinion held by the critics of the administration is that President Buhari had called a political meeting in the “hallowed” chamber of the Federal Executive Council, as if there is a law that says the President is barred from holding meetings in certain sections of the vast Presidential Villa.
