President Muhammadu Buhari has warned leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against imposition of unpopular candidates for the 2023 general election.
Buhari said that dictatorial behaviour had cost APC many strategic seats in the past and forced some strong members of the party to join other platforms because of unfairly oppressive behaviour of party leaders at state level.
The President, who gave the warning in his speech at the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of APC in Abuja, called on all party members to abide by all extant laws, rules, and regulations.
“I must caution strongly against any tendency towards developing cliques, in–fighting within the party. We want to win well not succumb to fractions on account of personal acerbities and desire to retain control at all costs. That surely is the road to win
“I enjoin you all to recognise the place of due process in all our tasks as managers of the party. We must develop party in-built mechanisms against corruption. Our success in 2023 will depend more on our capacity to respect our own extant rules, and regulations.
“Once again, the principal challenge before you is the need to forge a united front for the party. It is your responsibility to keep creating and sustaining compromises among party leaders and members across the country. We must identify elements and factors that would facilitate it. This I urge the new NWC to place as a priority task,” he said.
The president also disclosed that the NEC has vested its powers in the National Working Committee (NWC) for the time being, as requested, and in compliance with the Party Constitution in the overall interest of the party.
BusinessDay earlier reported that NEC transferred its powers to the Abdullahi Adamu-led NWC for the next 90 days within which it will take decisions that might require the intervention of the NEC meeting.
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Adamu had in his opening remarks accused some present and past governors of working at cross purposes to tear the party apart.
He declared that state governors are leaders of the party in their states and the APC constitution does not make provision for dual leadership in the states.
Adamu also, a former governor, said the erstwhile state chief executives are leaders in their own rights and asked incumbent governors to accord them all the necessary respect.
He said: “The serving governors and past governors are powerful men, each of them are leaders in their own right in their states but when two elephants fight the grass suffers. Similarly, when two powerful politicians fight the party suffers. This is because the speech and actions of these powerful men will bring a filthy and odious stench to our party.
“Our party must have the courage not to pay lip service about it but the serving governors of our party in their various states are the leaders of the party and this is in line with our party’s constitution. It is important that the former governors recognise that the party structure must be respected. Our party’s constitution makes no room for two party leaders in a state. There is no reason to compete with serving governors for the leadership of the party.”
Briefing journalists at the end of the NEC, Abubakar Atiku-Bagudu, chairman of the APC Governors, said though there was no explicit deliberation on the mode of primaries, there are indications that indirect method would be deployed.
He said: “There was no explicit discussion about the mode of primaries but the timetable seems to suggest that it’s indirect primaries.”
Addressing journalists, Felix Morka, APC National Publicity Secretary, said the party would hold presidential primaries between May 30 and first June while governorship will be held on May 18.
“The primaries for the State House of Assembly will hold on Friday 20th of May 2022. The House of Representatives will hold on Sunday, 22nd of May 2022. For the Senate that has been scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 24th of May 2022,” he said.
