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Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) , Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has given 10-member Technical Committee to review extension of the tenure of the National Working Committee (NWC) four days to submit a report.
Oyegun has lined up the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, four Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN) as well as four state governors to review the contrversial one year extension granted the NWC by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party in February.
Last month, at the NEC meeting, President Muhammadu Buhari kicked against tenure elongation for Oyegun and others. Buhari said it was against the party’s constitution, as well as that of the country.
The committee is expected to find lasting solution to the contentious extension of the tenure of the current national and state officers of the party.
Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, is chairman of the committee while APC National Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) will serve as member and committee secretary.
Other members of the committee include governors of Oyo, Kaduna and Ondo states, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai and Olurotimi Akeredolu (SAN), Senator Ben Uwajumogu, Honourable Kabiru Ajana, Elisha Kurah (SAN) and C.J.N. Dakas (SAN).
Inaugurating the panel in Abuja, yesterday, Oyegun said: “Some of the issues that have been remitted to you for resolution are strongly legal and, at the same time, impacted dramatically by political considerations.
“Therefore, your job is to bring these two together and advice us on the way we can implement our activities in the next few weeks and months, in a way that is politically advantageous to our party, the APC and at the same time, face due difference to the niceties of the law.
“We must observe the law and, at the same time, emphasise that we try to do things that will be advantageous to the party. We will furnish you with all the documents, like the resolutions of NEC, the party’s constitution and the Nigerian Constitution to help you do a good job. You are also at liberty to request for additional material, like the statement of Mr. President during last NEC meeting and every other thing to guide you achieve the task you are about to undertake. I am praying, hoping that this is the kind of thing you can accomplish in about three to four days.
“Getting answers from you is crucially time-sensitive and depending on which way you advice, we may have to put in motion very serious activities in the party, virtually within a week of getting the report and taking decisions. I thank you for accepting this onerous assignment and wish you the very best of luck.
“The chairman, governor Lalong, has successfully done a lot of very sensitive assignments in the past and each time you have always come out in flying colours and I am sure this will be yet another one.
Thereafter, Lalong explained to newsmen that what necessitated setting up this committee was the resolution of the NEC, to look into the issue and advice the party, especially the NEC, on the way forward to resolve this issue.”
He dismissed insinuations that the composition of the committee was in favour of the NWC.
“I think the discussion about elongation was not against (Asiwaju Bola Ahmed) Tinubu. We are concerned about the way forward for the party and the position of the president on the issue. The issue of whether it is satisfying somebody should not be there.
“He is a member of the party and, at the end of the day, our decision is not final but subject to the ratification of the NEC.”
