From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Judging by the tension and apprehension among the chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the build up to the severally postponed National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, few political watchers could rightly predict that the NEC members could emerge from the meeting with genuine smiles, banters and pleasantries.

However, that was incidentally the outcome at the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja when the much awaited APC NEC meeting finally pulled through rancour free stunning proponents of implosion. An inkling of the outcome of the NEC meeting visibly played out during the party’s Caucus meeting held at the State House with President Muhammadu Buhari, and most of the party chieftains in attendance.

Instead of the anticipated tantrums, there were rather exchanges of banters. In place of the much publicised impeachment of certain party officers was vote of confidence. Instead of acrimony, there were visible genuine reconciliation and smiles on the faces of the Caucus members.

The heeled wounds, whether temporal or permanent, certainly reflected on the NEC members before and after the meeting at the party headquarters in Abuja. Surprisingly, with a very insignificant exception, all the NEC members were in attendance, ranging from the Presidency, governors, National Assembly members to the zonal and state executives and other stakeholders.

In fact, it was a roll call of personalities in attendance and they include; President Buhari, Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, governors Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Jibrilla Bindo (Adamawa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Tanko Al-makura (Nasarawa), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna).

Others were Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).

The senators present at the meeting include Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Senate Minority Whip, Francis Alimikhena, Senators Abdullahi Adamu, Binta Garba, Andy Ubah, Magnus Abbe, Dino Melaye, Ahmed Sani Yerima, Gbenga Ashafa and Barnabas Gemade.

From the House of Representatives were Speaker Yakubu Dogara, Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, Majority Whip Ado Dogowa among others.

Pioneer National Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audi Ogbe, FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello and Special Adviser to the Vice President on Political Matter, Babafemi Ojodu, Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina among other Presidential aides were also in attendance.

As peace of the graveyard returns after the NEC meeting, it left in its trail unresolved issues like the party’s automatic Presidential ticket to President Buhari and the vote of confidence on the hitherto embattled national chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun whose position in the party was hanging in the balance among other issues.

Automatic Presidential ticket

Understandably, with the 2019 general election almost around the corner, what certainly becomes of the presidential ticket is now an issue of serious concern. While the incumbent received overwhelming endorsement to re-contest from many of the governors, the party surprisingly could not take a categorically stand on the issue during the NEC meeting.

From the governors of Plateau, Nasarawa, Kebbi states to Imo, there were no dissenting voices on automatic ticket for President Buhari. However, both the Speaker House of Representatives, Hon Dogara and the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi announced that though there was a suggestion to move a motion, it was however shutdown. They insisted that there was no consensus on the issue.

Perhaps, the stand of the Plateau State governor was an audible reflection of the reasoning of many party stakeholders. He had on arrival for the meeting boldly announced: “Concerning the issue of sole ticket for Mr President, I want to say that if Mr President is performing, well respected and carrying everybody along, all of us should resolve to work for him.

“Do we have any other person that will challenge the president again? Whatever you call it, as far as we are concerned, we have one President and that is the ticket we will fly,” he said.

But responding on whether the party discussed automatic ticket for President Buhari, Dogara said: “Even though there was a motion on the floor for a vote of confidence to be passed on the president, some of us felt it was not necessary because there is nowhere his confidence is shaking. But the motion was taken and passed.

“However, there was a second leg to that motion, which called for the adoption of the candidature of the president, but it was differed for now and no decision was taken because that is not the major reason we are here,” he said.

In reality, the questions begging for answer were whether there was really an attempt to offer automatic ticket to Mr President for the 2019 presidential election during the meeting, what was his reaction and that of stakeholders to such request?

A member of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) at the meeting told Sunday Sun in confidence that in fairness to Mr President, he even joined others in shouting down the person who raised the motion, stressing that from his body language, he does not want to be distracted for now.

Yes, somebody actually raised a motion for automatic ticket for Mr President,” he said, adding: “But everybody, including Mr President shouted down the person, reminding him that it is not yet time for such motion.”

“What I observed from Mr President’s reaction was that he does not want any distraction. His major concern is about how to move the country forward. From his body language, it is wrong to say that he wants to re-contest. Everybody is operating from the realm of speculation, on presumptions and assumptions since he has not said he is going to contest,” he argued.

Oyegun’s impeachment survival

Before and in the build up to the meeting, Chief Oyegun was one party officer his position was very uncertain. The calls and clamour for his sack reverberated across the party platforms. From the party’s national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and the 17 governors to the youths under the auspices of Save APC and Democracy Youth Vanguard that grounded activities at the party’s headquarters on the eve of the NEC meeting, all demanded for his immediate removal.

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He was not only levied sundry allegations but also labelled in all manners of derogatory languages. However, despite the clamour for his removal, his position did not even come up for mentioning during the meeting. The last may not have however been heard about Oyegun’s future considering the fact that while the party’s spokesperson claimed that he was given a clean bill of health, an NWC member said that the issue was not even mentioned at all.

“Nothing was mentioned about Oyegun despite the clamour for his removal and that is politics for you. I can tell you on good authority that the only person given a vote of confidence during the meeting was Mr President,” our source insisted.

In his own reaction on the future of the National Chairman, the party’s spokesperson simply said: “The NEC passed absolute vote of confidence on Oyegun and his NWC members.

Delaying the evil day of crisis

For many, that APC still exists as a party could only be because of Buhari factor. Understandably so, from the national, zonal to the states and even grassroots levels, all manners of crises have widened the cracks in the party to a disturbing level. At national level, many party chieftains like Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, Bisi Akande and perhaps Adams Oshiomhole and some state governors are said to be hellbent on sacking the national leadership of the party.

In the states, Reps Speaker is at loggerhead with the Bauchi governor, in Kano state, Governor Ganduje does not see eye to eye with his immediate predecessor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, just as in Kaduna state where Governor Nasir El-rufai has scores to settle with Senator Shehu Sani.

There have been previous efforts to reconcile the gladiators without much success. However, despite the threat such rancorous situation posed on the party, all NEC could do was to constitute yet another committee to pacify the aggrieved party members.

“I don’t think you can find any family that is as large as the APC family without some squabbles,” Dogara told newsmen in defence of the reconciliation committee after the meeting, adding; no such family exists in the whole world. If there are disagreements, they are okay because without disagreements, you cannot even move forward. Progress comes when people refuse to agree with the status quo and they put forward their positions.

“If their positions are good enough, they are adopted and we move forward. So, for us, I don’t think we are having a situation or will run into a situation whereby we have crisis the party cannot overcome. What I will advocate is that we should be the ones, as the APC family, to define what type of crisis and not allow crisis defines us,” Dogara noted.

Speaking further, he said; “So, we will do everything possible to reach out to whoever is aggrieved. We are not like other parties that will say to hell with you because we value every member of this family. If we have members of the family who have grievances, we will do everything possible to reach out to them and attempt to bring reconciliation. I believe that with God on our side, we should be able to overcome.”

Security concerns

What would have degenerated into major security lapses was not the overzealousness of the security agents screening everybody at the mounted multiple checks but the draconian order from the Presidential Guard at the entrance gate that the governors must disembark at the gate and walk into the complex.

The directive which did not go down well with the governors almost resulted in major security crisis. The incidents which started when Kogi governor arrived resulted to a shouting match, altercations before graduating to physical abusive crossfire between the governors’ security details and by extension some of the governors.

The governors were equally stripped of their security details from the entrance gate of the complex and also compelled to undergo the compulsory accreditation physically before their entrance to the conference hall venue of the meeting.

Although the governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, mildly took the order in good stride, his Zamfara state counterpart, Abdulaziz Yari who was livid with anger did not only insist on driving in but also yelled at the security details for embarrassing his colleagues.

Failure to pick a date for convention

Before now, the delay in organizing mid-term convention, non-elective or main party convention was hinged on financial crisis facing the party and essentially the fear of implosion.

Those expecting to go to the bank with a particular date for the convention were totally disappointed. On the contrary, the NEC that are supposed to pick a date however ended up constituting another committee to arrange the convention.

While commenting on the proposed convention, Hon Dogara said: “There was paper on the line of activities that the party is meant to embark upon. There wasn’t a definitive and conclusive date on the party convention because it is something in the works and judging from the Caucus meeting, I understand that the party will fine tune this and then there will be another round of meeting where the specifics and details will be approved.”

Making more clarifications, the party’s spokesperson said: “The only discussion or conversation on 2019 was the activity of the party in 2018, especially the issue of convention. It was agreed that since we have all these activities lined up, including the mini convention, congresses and elective convention, a small team be set up to put dates to these party activities up to 2018. The committee will decide when all this activities will take place.”

Promise of hope in rewarding party members through appointments into FEC and Boards

In response to the continued complaints trailing the appointments made by President Buhari and the outcry that his main supporters were neglected, Mr President brought a message of hope to the party members, hinting them of his plans to expand the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to accommodate the neglected members.

In his keynote address during the NEC meeting, President Buhari said: “On the other hand, I am keenly aware that our supporters are very eager for these appointments to be announced. By the grace of God these appoint-ments will be announced soon, especially now that the economy is improving, we will have the re-sources to cater for the appointees.

“By the same token, the com-pressed Federal Executive Council will be expanded to bring in more supporters at the federal level, with fresh ideas to be inject-ed into the government,” he promised.