Tenure Elongation: APC stands for internal democracy - Tinubu

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The National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has declared that the party stands for internal democracy, reports ITRealms.

Reacting to the comment by President Mohammad Buhari over the tenure elongation of the current leadership of the party led by Chief John Oyegun, Tinubu, also said that the President definitely has spoken, which means that the party stand for internal democracy and the rule of law.

Recalling that in his address to the March 27 NEC meeting, President Buhari stated that talk of extension or elongation of the tenures of national and state party executive officers was improper. The President declared that any such moves would contravene both the national and party constitutions.

Additionally, he stated that the designation of existing officers as caretaker committees also violated constitutional requirements.

President Buhari’s action saves the party from serious legal turmoil. If the elongations were deemed illegal then all subsequent party actions, including the nomination of all of our candidates for elective offices, might also be of questionable legality. Such a predicament would constitute an unnecessary and mortal blow to the party and its role in promoting progressive governance to Nigeria.

Moreover, President Buhari has affirmed for all to see that our party is one based on the rule of law coupled with a firm adherence to internal democracy. While it would have been easy to allow the ill-conceived motion of 27 February to stand, President Buhari showed principle and courage by steering the party back to its original and correct path.

The President has spoken. Today is a good day for those who cherish democracy and legality.  His action will also serve to strengthen the party by allowing party members, including present incumbents, to seek to contribute to the party by vying for executive offices as they see fit.

His action will go far in advancing the process of internal reconciliation that is now underway. It is a time for the party to move forward and begin to plan and organize the needed congresses according to the existing timetables. After all, a party bearing the name All Progressives Congress should be the last party to resist holding congresses in which all its people have a fair say and fair chance to aspire to any position in the party for which they are qualified to hold.

Again, this is a good day for the APC and democratic political practice in Nigeria. We shun the politics of old to move toward a new and better way of governing ourselves and this nation.

Remmy Nweke/ED, OPs

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More trouble for Oyegun: Lagos APC kicks against tenure elongation

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More trouble seems to be coming the way of the National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, as the Lagos State branch of the party has kicked against the elongation of tenure of the party's national and state executives, declaring it as unconstitutional both for the party and Nigeria’s constitutions, reports ITRealms.

Rising from a Consultative Forum held at State House Marina, Lagos and attended by party elders from across the state, the leaders said the extension of the tenure of the party's National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and his executives by one year was against the spirit of the country's APC’s constitutions.

Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides for periodical election on a democratic basis for principal officers and members of the executive committee of political parties. According to the constitution, election of the officers or members of the executive committee of a political party will be deemed to be periodical if done at regular intervals not exceeding four years.

Article 17 of the party’s constitution also provides for a four-year tenure for its national and state executives, which is renewable for another four years.

Lagos State Central Senatorial District Leader of the party, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, spoke with journalists after the consultative forum.

He said: "We have taken reports of the state APC chairman in respect of the NEC meeting held in Abuja. We have also had the privilege of receiving great reports from our leader from the reconciliation committee.

“We have considered the issue of extension of tenure and we are of the firm belief that the decision is a breach of the constitution of our party and of the country. We are against the elongation of tenure.

We shall continue to make our decision known to the party and to the president".

The tenure of Oyegun and its executives is due to expire in June this year.

Section 223 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as amended, specifically states that:

“(1)The Constitution and rules of a political party shall

(a) provide for the periodical election on a democratic basis of the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of the political party; and
(b) ensure that the members of the executive committee or other governing body of the political party reflect the federal character of Nigeria

(2) For the purposes of this section –

(a) 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; and…”

In extending the tenure, the APC National Executive Committee had relied on Article 13.3 (ii) of its constitution which states that The NEC can discharge the functions of the convention in a period of emergency.

Article 13.3 (ii) of APC Constitution specifically states that the NEC of the party is empowered to;

“Discharge all functions of the National Conventions as constituted in between Conventions”.

But the provision in Article 13.3 (ii) is not limitless and open-ended. It is a responsibility restricted by the same constitution, which provides exclusively under Article 30 (i) that: “This Constitution and Schedules hereto can be amended only by the National Convention of the Party”.

The party’s constitution provides the processes for constitution amendment.

Article 30 “(ii) Notice of any proposed amendment by any member or organ of the Party shall be given to the National Secretary at least twenty-one (21) days before the date of the National Convention.  The notice, which shall be in writing, shall contain a clear statement of the proposed amendment and reasons thereof.

(iii) Notice of proposed amendment(s) shall be served on the members of the National Convention at least fourteen (14) days before the date of the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered.  Publication of the notice of the proposed amendments in a National Newspaper shall be deemed to be sufficient Notice.

(iv)The Constitution or any part thereof shall stand amended if a proposed amendment is supported by at least two thirds of the delegates present and voting.

(v) Where new positions and Offices are created as a result of the amendment of this Constitution, the relevant Executive Committee shall until the next Convention or Congress fill such positions and office in an interim capacity.”

Ayo Midele/GEE

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NDDC Board tenure elongation: Group alleges Abba Kyari, Malami collected $500m

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A coalition of pressure groups under the aegis of Eastern Niger Delta Coalition (ENDC), has alleged that the controversial board tenure elongation at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was facilitated by the Presidency after the sum of $500 million was paid, reports ITRealms.

The group said the key actors in the elongation saga who received the largesse on behalf of the cabals at the Presidency included the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari and the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abaubakar Malami (SAN).

The coalition in a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari dated November 9 2017, entitled: "Protest against the purported extension of the tenure of the present Chairman and Managing Director of NDDC) Board", said the so-called extension was not only morally wrong, but also does not stand on any legal high ground.

The group therefore gave the present leadership of the NDDC board December 5 deadline within which it should be terminated, saying "a stitch in time saves nine."

The petition which was signed by Alali Bokutengo; Miebaka Harrison Nsan Ebirien and Cordelia Etuk-Udo, was obtained by ITRealms in Abuja, reads: "Sir, may we use this medium to register our protest against the purported elongation of the tenure of Senator Victor Ndoma-Egbe (Chairman) and Obong Nsima Ekere (Managing Director) of the NDDC. To say the least, this attempt is criminal, offensive, satanic and an anathema to the peace and development in the Niger Delta region as well as the harmonious co-existence of all the ethnic nationalities spread across in the 9 (nine) oil producing states.

"The so-called extension is not only morally wrong, it does not also stand on any legal high ground. It is insinuated that the said elongation coup was originated through a legal memo by the AGF, Abubakar Malami (SAN). This whole exercise is offensive and contrary to the extant/explicit provisions of the relevant sections of the NDDC Act.

"Our finding reveal that the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari and AGF, Abubakar Malami, have collected $500 million as bribe from the current board of the NDDC to elongate their tenure. We are therefore calling on President Muhammdu Buhari to intervene and do the right thing because millions of dollars have been exchanged between the Chief of Staff and some other persons in the Presidency to ensure that this current board's tenure is extended thereby truncating the rotational arrangement according to Section 4 of the NDDC Act, which provided for the rotation of chairmanship of the board as between “member states”.

The coalition said it had seen a hurriedly released letter signed by the Permanent Secretary, in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dayo Apata denying any tenure elongation for the present governing board, saying the denial was wrong.

The ENDC said, "Sir, please this fraud should not be allowed to stay a day longer because of the consequences it would bequeath on the region.

The peaceful co-existence among tribes and ethnic nationalities would be shaken to its foundation and rather replaced by mistrust and mutual suspicion- an invitation to breakdown of law and order.

"At this point may we humbly ask: Is this elongation plan a kudos to Senator Victor Ndoma Egba and Nsima Ekere for their effective implementation of the Niger Delta Regional Development Master plan? Is it on grounds of high prudent financial management? Is it on their competence or what?

"We actually thought Nsima Ekere should be explaining to the anti-corruption agencies how he renovated just the MD’s office at a whooping N400 million. Or how the present board spent over N65 million on emergency repairs without adherence to the Procurement Act.

"This present board of the NDDC is the most inept, corrupt, divisive, slow and uninspiring. No wonder the board is popularly referred to as “10% board”.

We posit therefore that the present leadership of the NDDC be terminated not later than the 15th day of December, 2017. A stitch in time saves nine."

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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