Signature TV findings reveal protests may mar Tuesday’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC ) scheduled to take place at the Presidential Villa, if concrete efforts are not made to assuage angry members of the body.
This follows disenchantment of NEC members with how the party had been run in the last couple of years, especially in the last six months under the Caretaker Committee led by the Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni
Sources familiar with APC politics tell SignatureTV that members are angry with the ruling party for its record-breaking neglect of the party structure at the national, state, local government and ward levels
According to them party offices are not functional anymore especially in states where APC is in opposition and the long-awaited appointments for loyal party members has remained a pipe dream less than three years to the expiration of the Buhari Government.
“The party reward system is in shambles, no allowances, no empowerment. APC never had it so bad. Morale is at the lowest ebb and Aso Rock does not give a hoot”
“Six months ago when the Caretaker Committee took the reigns of power, party members heaved a sigh of relief, thinking that the Chairman being a former National Secretary of the party that things will get better but all the committee is interested in is how to elongate their tenure and disenfranchise opponents with their phony registration of members.
Signature TV learnt that the major mandate of the Caretaker Committee was to reconcile members and put together a national convention within six months but as much as the reconciliation mandate has started, nothing has been done towards holding a national convention.
A non-NWC NEC member who does not want his name mentioned in this report told Signature TV that the Buhari Government has hijacked the party.
“Our constitution says NEC meetings should hold at the party registered secretariat but today our meetings hold at the Presidential Villa, a ploy by the government to control the process and outcome. They meet at night to take decisions and at the meeting, the President makes an announcement. Where is internal democracy, one of the major ingredients of a political party” he queried.
“Buni and his group are obsessed with elongating their tenure but let’s see how they will do it. We are ready for them and not even the President can force our hand. They have the money but we have the numbers enough to truncate their plan”
“The South West has decided not to align with the Caretaker Committee and a good number of State Chairmen and Zonal Officers are boycotting the meeting because they believe there is a hidden agenda”
Our correspondent reports that as part of dousing the tension before today’s meeting, a directive had gone to State organs of the party to nominate members for “federal board appointments”.
It is not clear how aggrieved members intend to push their case at the NEC meeting today but indications are that many disgruntled members may not only raise their hands, they may also raise their voices.