A National Leader of the ruling
All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said that there was no
basis for the one year tenure extension given to the John Odigie-Oyegun-led
National Working Committee, NWC, by the party’s National Executive Council,
NEC.
He said this is because the
tenure extension violates the constitution of Nigeria and the party.
Earlier, the Lagos State chapter
of the APC, had rejected the extension, saying it was against the constitution
of the party.
Speaking with Independent on
whether the former Lagos Governor was privy to the meeting and gave his
backing, Tinubu’s Special Adviser, on Media and Publicity, Tunde Rahman, said
his principal did not in any way support the extension of the tenure of the NWC
because it was against Nigeria’s and APC’s constitution.
He insisted that the NWC and all
those who benefitted from the extension should seek re-election when their
tenure expires, Tinubu said the APC should always strive to do things in
accordance with the constitution, noting that that was the only thing that
separated the APC from other political parties.
Rahman said, “I don’t know if
Asiwaju Tinubu was privy to the meeting or whether he was consulted or not
before the decision was reached.
“But I do know that he has always
spoken in support of doing things constitutionally.
“Did the so-called elongation of
tenure of the party executives follow the country’s constitution, and even the
APC’s constitution?
“Section 223 of the 1999
constitution talks about election of executives of political parties
periodically.
“And the section further explains
that the election of the party executives will be deemed to be periodical if
done every four years.
“What is the fear of those behind
the elongation? The executives can contest for re-election and if they are
re-elected, so be it.
“No one can deny them that right,
but why circumvent due process? Why thwart constitutional process?
“Asiwaju Tinubu would wish that
due constitutional process was followed because that’s what has always made the
difference between the APC and the other parties.”
He added, “In 2014, three
conventions were done in a space of seven months, including the election of new
party executives, presidential primaries, and even amendment of some aspects of
the party’s constitution, and heaven did not fall.”
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