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Sunday, 17 November 2019 06:31

Oshiomhole bows to pressure, fixes APC national caucus, NEC meetings for this week

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National chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) may have bowed to threats by APC governors to convene the party’s national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings.

The national leadership of the APC is to hold separate meetings of its national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) this week.

Reliable party sources said while the national caucus would hold at the Presidential Villa on the night of Thursday, November 21, NEC would meet on Friday, November 22 in the morning at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

When contacted yesterday, APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu, who confirmed the development, however, did not speak on the agenda of the meetings.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who returned to the country on Friday night, is expected to be part of the meetings.

Last Wednesday, APC governors asked Oshiomhole to either resign or convene a meeting of NEC to resolve all challenges.

According to inside sources, critical matters would be sorted out at the national caucus meeting to be presided over by APC National Chairman, Oshiomhole and attended by the leadership of National Assembly, including Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila.

Issues discussed at caucus, sources said, would be ratified at the NEC meeting expected to be brief because of the Jum’aat prayers on Friday.

Part of the issues expected to be ironed out is the need to fill existing vacant positions in National Working Committee (NWC) and the ongoing political battle between the party’s national chairman, Oshiomhole and Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State ahead of the 2020 gubernatorial poll in the state.

The outcome of the governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states is another matter expected to be reviewed together with the state of the party in various states.

The governors, under the aegis of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), said in the current circumstance, nothing short of a NEC or national caucus meeting of the party could resolve all increasing organisational challenges as a party.

The position was contained in a statement issued by NGF Director General, Mr Salihu Lukman.

The governors said the party’s national leaders must rise to the challenge facing APC as a party and take all necessary measures to convene superior organ meetings to begin to resolve all challenges, stressing that “the current public disgrace must end.”

 

Daily Trust