Leadership crisis: APC to get new chairman, NWC November

Barring any last-minute changes, the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress may hold the party’s national convention in November, Saturday PUNCH has learnt.

The national convention, it was also learnt, would witness the emergence of a new national chairman and other members of the National Working Committee, while ward, local government and state congresses would hold before the convention.

The National Executive Committee of the party had at a June 25 meeting presided over by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa dissolved the NWC.

Others in attendance at the meeting were Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, many state governors elected on the platform of the party and other stakeholders.

Prior to the NEC meeting, the party had been enmeshed in leadership crisis, including several court cases and different persons laying claim to the leadership of the party after the Court of Appeal ratified the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman.

The National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, had in his statement after the NEC meeting sacked the NWC said one would need a spreadsheet to keep tab of the many court cases concerning the party. The leadership crisis had led to the dissolution of the NWC by the NEC.

But to resolve the leadership crisis and start the process of rebuilding the party, the NEC set up the caretaker committee, with members drawn from the different geopolitical zones, to manage the affairs of the party and conduct a national convention. The committee is headed by the governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, who once served as the national secretary of the party.

Other members are the Governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola; Governor Sani Bello of Niger State; Prof Tahir Mamman; Ken Nnamani; Dr James Lalu; David Lyon; Akinyemi Olaide; Stella Okorete; James Lalu; Ismail Ahmed; Abba Ari, Senator Abubakar Yusuf and Senator Akpan Udoedehe, who is the secretary.

Meanwhile, in a fresh development, the caretaker committee, which had members from the six geopolitical zones, is said to have settled for November, after the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, to hold the convention so the substantive leaders of the party could be elected.

A highly-placed member of NEC, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said, “Unless something changes, a new national chairman and members of the National Working Committee will emerge in November. Right now, what is paramount is the need for our party to secure Edo and Ondo states and stop the haemorrhage within.”