Following the controversy that greeted the tenure elongation of the National Executive Officers of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, recently, the party seems poised to amend the part of its constitution which currently provides only for the election and not elongation of national officers.
Speaking with State House Correspondents after the caucus meeting of the party presided over by President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Monday night, National Chairman, Chief Odigie Oyegun, Senate President Dr Bukola Saraki, Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and Katsina State governor, Aminu Masari each hinted at the party Constitution as one of the key issues discussed at the meeting.
According to Oyegun “The meeting was actually beautiful, lively, it is a meeting to conclude the agenda we started last time which we didn’t conclude. Today, we are discussing true federalism and something more serious.”
Saraki said, “We had a good meeting. We deliberated a number of issues to do with the constitution of the party which are very important issues. The constitution and to prepare for NEC tomorrow, it was a good meeting.”
For Dogara “And all I can tell you is that the agenda is well set. I believe that it will be the responsibility of NEC to decide and after a decision is taken, some of our faithful members will address the press. “I don’t think it is in my place to divulge what was discussed. Tactically, it is an agenda setting meeting and we have had that meeting but the main meeting will take place tomorrow. Certainly it’s going to be an agenda for the consideration of NEC, whatever NEC decides, that will bind all of us as faithful members of the party.”
Masari hit the nail at the head, “We discussed so many things, one of them is the amendment of the constitution.”
The troublesome part of the Constitution is Section 223(1) and Section 223(2). Section 223(1) , states that the constitution and rules of a political party “shall provide for a periodical election on a democratic basis of the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of the political party…”
Section 223(2) further states: “The election of the officers or members of the executive committee of a political party shall be deemed to be periodical only if it is made at regular intervals not exceeding four years.”
While Zamafara governor, Abdulkadir Yari said the tenure extension was a “mere expression of interest”. other members, particularly in the Imo chapter of the party felt so aggrieved to drag the party to court, prompting the party to threaten to them to withdraw the suit or face heavy sanction.
With the contentious issues yet to be revolved, the move by the party NEC to amend that party of the constitution may spark another controversy, whose end cannot be easily predicted.
