President Muhammadu Buhari has urged members of the governing party, the All Progressives Congress APC, to shun acts that will divide them ahead of the forth-coming general election. He gave the advice on Monday in his address to the National Executive Committee NEC of the APC at the party’s National Secretariat, Wuse, Abuja.
He said: “Considering that politics is a game of numbers, we must not be a house divided against itself and must try to appreciate and accommodate our differences as far as the law permits.”
The Nigerian leader heaped praises on the APC technical committee that looked into the issue of tenure elongation for the party’s executives, for doing a good job within a short time.
“I want to specifically thank members of the technical committee for a job well done within a limited time frame. It shows the essence of commitment and the ideals of our party with a view to consolidating the party to continue to provide good governance in the overall interest of Nigerians.
“The general interest of the party and based in the report submitted by the technical committee, it is important to focus on how to move the party forward by avoiding actions detrimental to the interest of the party.
Having seen the report, my position is to ensure that the party tows the part of unity, legality, cohesion and not that of division. Therefore, I am stressing that we strengthen our internal democracy by organizing party congresses and convention where election of national executive committee members will be held. This will automatically end the cases filed by members seeking orders of court compiling the party to hold its congresses,” he said.
Giving his opinion on the fate of the current executives of the party, President Buhari said they should be allowed to re-contest within the provisions of the party’s laws, adding that the party may grant them waivers where they fall short of the provisions of the law.
“I also believe that the current executives should be free to run for elective position in the party if they so wish and permitted by our party constitution. However, considering the provision of Article 30 Section 1 and Subsection 3 of our party constitution which requires any serving officer desirous seeking re-election to resign from office 30 days before the election, I’m not sure of the practicality of the present servings officers ability to meet this condition.
“Accordingly, the party may consider granting waivers to party executives at all levels so that they are not disenfranchised in participating in the elections provided this does not violate our rights or our rules. Necessary waivers should also be extended to executives at the ward level whose tenures May have elapsed and indeed to anyone knocking on our doors from other parties. This gives credence to the right to freedom of association guaranteed by the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria as amended. In this circumstance, the party should issue a statement on the above waivers so that our house maybe full. We all must not be ignorant of the tomes and the journey that is ahead of us,” President Buhari advised.
President Buhari concluded his remarks with some words of caution for the APC NEC, by saying: “Just like our party symbols the broom, we stand by strength in unity. Let us try to be united in party, victory is sure by the grace of God. And together, we must continue to sanitize Nigeria’s Political environment. I welcome you to this meeting with the hope that in our deliberations, we will conduct ourselves without rancour, and promote the highest interest of our party and the nation.”
President Buhari will depart Nigeria later on Monday, for the UK on a working visit, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting CHOGM.
