Plans by some members of the governing All Progressives Congress to elongate the tenure of the National and State Executives of the party by one year has run into troubled waters following President Muhammadu Buhari's insistence on adherence to due process and rule of law.

The APC, at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting last month, resolved to extend the tenure of all party officials, from the national to the ward levels, by 12 months.

The tenure of the current National Working Committee (NWC) led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, was due to expire at the end of June, this year.

However, it was learnt that major stakeholders of the party argued that it would be counter-productive to hold congresses and national convention towards electing new officials for the APC less than a year before the general elections.

Those in favour of tenure elongation expressed fears that holding a new convention going into the 2019 general elections could further polarize the party.

While some state chapters and members of the party, notably Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, kicked against any tenure elongation, saying it was against the APC constitution, the man in the eye of the storm, Chief Oyegun, told State House correspondents after the caucus meeting of the party presided over by President Buhari at the Presidential Villa Abuja, Monday night that calls for his removal from office "belongs to history".

However, in a move that may signal the end of the road for the Oyegun-led NWC, President Buhari at the ongoing NEC of the party in Abuja on Tuesday, called for strict adherence to the dictates of the APC and national constitutions.

The President, who stressed that it was pertinent for him to speak on the contentious issue of the tenure of National and State Executive Officers of the party, pointed to relevant sections of the APC Constitution that do not support the move.

"On my own part, I have taken some time to review and seek advise on the resolution. And what I found is that it contravenes both our party Constitution and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria", he said in his remarks.

Speaking further, President Buhari specifically drew attention to Article 17(1) & 13.2(B), of the APC Constitution which limits tenure of elected officers to 4 years, renewable once by election. He also cited Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended), which also prescribes periodic elections for party Excos at regular intervals, which must not exceed 4 years.

"Furthermore, Article 31 of our Party Constitution provides that any principal officer wishing to re-contest or contest for another post, must resign from his current post at least one month before the election", he added.

In light of the foregoing, the President called for conduct of fresh elections once the tenure of the current executives approaches its end.

"A Caretaker Committee cannot remedy this situation, and cannot validly act in place of elected officers", he noted.

He continued: "Furthermore, I think if we deviate from the constitutional provisions,we might be endangering the fortunes of our party. If the tenure of our party executives can be legally faulted, then it means that any nominations & primary elections that they may conduct,can also be faulted.

"This is not to talk of divisions that would arise, and is already arising within the party, when some of our members feel that they are being denied the right to aspire to executive positions, or that internal democracy is not at play within the party.

"I am therefore of the firm view that it is better to follow strictly the dictates of our party and national constitutions, rather than put APC and its activities at grave risk.

"Fortunately, we have already approved a timetable for the holding of congresses and elections. I think these should be allowed to go forward and all efforts should now be geared towards making them a great success".

Source: https://twitter.com/NGRPresident

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