Former Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje and former Spokesman of the Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru, yesterday, emerged as the national chairman and secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
They were so ratified at a National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting of the party attended by President Bola Tinubu and other top leaders of the party, in Abuja.
On a day that Ganduje assured that running the APC would no longer be business as usual with the party appointing an external auditor to probe its finances, there was discontent over the NEC's appointment of a same-faith National Chairman and National Secretary.
Some chieftains of the party described the action as "terribly insensitive."
Wednesday's night meeting of the National Caucus of the party had recommended Ganduje for the office of national chairman, and spokesperson of the 9th Senate, Ajibola Basiru, as national secretary.
Their nominations followed the recent forced resignation of the erstwhile National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
Two officials of the party who spoke to Vanguard, off record, said while the development could not be immediately reversed, it must be on record that the APC has now yielded itself to a particular religion.
"We know what we went through with the Tinubu/Shettima Muslim-Muslim ticket. As if that was not enough, we were on the verge of producing a Muslim Senate President until many of us protested. That said, we still have a Muslim Speaker.
"We did not force Adamu out only to be replaced by another Muslim. If you read former National Vice Chairman, North-West, Salihu Moh. Lukman's statements, one of his consistent demands were that Adamu should be replaced with a Christian from the North-Central. Now, you did not do that but went ahead to even distort the zoning formula by taking that office to the North-West. And to add salt to injury, the new national secretary is also a Muslim. These are the two main people, who run the party. There should be religious sensitivity," the official said.
At its 12th meeting in Abuja, yesterday, the APC NEC mandated the National Working Committee, NWC, to consult with all relevant stakeholders, evolve an acceptable zoning formula and fill other vacant positions within its fold.
Some of the vacancies the NWC was mandated to fill include Deputy National Chairman, North; National Woman Leader; and National Legal Adviser. The office of the National Vice Chairman, North-West, was not listed as Vanguard had earlier reported that the NWC was yet to accept the resignation of Lukman.
Legal Adviser resigns
Vanguard gathered that the National Legal Adviser of the party, Ahmed El-Marzuk had resigned from the party's NWC earlier in the week but kept his resignation under wraps.
It was learned that he resigned following insistence by some of his colleagues that he could no longer be in office due to some grave allegations against him which had prompted his interrogation by one of the anti-graft agencies.
However, a man who identified himself as "Special Adviser to the National Legal Adviser," AbdulHalim Adamu, in a statement, said his principal resigned to allow for the ongoing "reconfiguration of party offices for national cohesion and adequate regional representation."
How Ganduje, Ajibola emerged
Senate President Godswill Akpabio had at the commencement of the meeting moved a motion for an amendment of the agenda to empower the NWC to make realignments and take care of some vacancies but it was roundly rejected with shouts of "No! No!"
However, Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors' Forum PGF, Senator Hope Uzodimma, calmed frayed nerves and then seconded Akpabio's motion to the effect that NEC should only fill the chairmanship and secretary positions, while leaving the rest for the NWC.
Tinubu, Shettima, other leaders at the meeting
Aside President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, some of those who attended the meeting were pioneer National Chairman of the APC, Bisi Akande; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume; Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; Senator Ahmad Lawan; Senator Aliyu Wamakko; Dr Abdullahi Ganduje; Senators Jibrin Barau, Adams Oshiomhole, Ali Ndume and Opeyemi Bamidele.
Governors at the event were Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Uzodimma (Imo), Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara), Umara Zulum (Borno), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Lucky Ayedatiwa (Ondo Acting Governor), Umar Bago (Niger), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Deputy Governors of Nasarawa and Ebonyi.
Why Buhari didn't attend APC caucus, NEC meetings - GARBA SHEHU
However, immediate past President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari, retd, was not at the caucus meeting of Wednesday and NEC parley of yesterday. Mallam Garba Shehu, ex-spokesperson to former President Buhari, in a statement, said Buhari was unable to attend the meetings due to earlier commitments.
He added that the former president apologised for his absence and expressed his support and commitment to the party.
Party appoints external auditors
At the meeting, which also appointed external auditors to audit the accounts of the party, President Bola Tinubu recalled how the NEC had in April 2022 donated its powers to the NWC for 90 days.
He, therefore, counseled members at the NEC meeting to also donate some of their powers to the current NWC to carry out certain tasks.
He said: "I recall in the 11th meeting of 20th April, 2022 when the national executive committee of the party devolved some powers to the NWC in accordance with the party's constitution, to, among other things, organize our party's primary. I am happy that the NWC has fulfilled these responsibilities assigned to them faithfully.
Free and fair election
Tinubu, who described the election that brought him to power as one of the freest and fairest in Nigeria's history, said those who cannot accept such results do not deserve the joy of victory.
He said: "The party has a responsibility to promote unity, stability and love among ourselves. And we have to fulfil our dreams and the dreams of our founding fathers to be sure that Nigeria remains the focal point of our domestic and foreign policies.
"Winning elections is just a step in the process. Good governance is next. Some people baited us but we honoured their wishes and yet coasted to victory.
"Yes, we are facing challenges in court and I say this is one of the most free and fairest elections in the history of Nigeria. As a democrat, those who cannot accept the result of a free and fair election do not deserve the joy of victory.
"Yes, there is governance to embark on, we are working on it. It is a wheel that must be oiled, greased properly. I have submitted a ministerial list to the Senate for approval and we are in the process of establishing fully the government of the people by the people and for the people."
Forged EU Report
Uzodimma said at the meeting that it was the first NEC that the party was having after the 2023 general elections and that it presented an opportunity to officially reply to the opposition who have consistently sought to delegitimize its mandate.
His words: "Recently, they started blackmailing the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and trying to incite Nigerians. Of late, they generated a European Union report by the EU monitoring team, whose identity and address we don't know.
"We condemn the campaign of calumny, the incitement of Nigerians and this type of campaign that is going on.
"I therefore move the motion to pass a vote of 'implicit confidence' on INEC and the 2023 general election as the APC's official reaction to the campaign of calumny going on in the social media as orchestrated by the opposition."
The motion, which was seconded by the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq was unanimously adopted.
I'll lead with integrity
In his acceptance speech, Ganduje, promised to lead the party with integrity, and that the affairs of the party would no longer be business as usual.
Pledging to ensure greater commitment to internal democracy and reform, he said he would deploy high-end technology for membership registration, adding that the party cannot have over 41 million members and yet managed to score a little over 8 million in the presidential election.
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Among others, he promised to promote party unity, ensure internal democracy, carry out reforms in alignment with the current political landscape, deploy higher technology for membership registration, and ensure a level playing field for all party members that want to contest elections under the party's platform
He called on members of the party and the people of Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states to close ranks and ensure that the APC wins in the forthcoming governorship elections.
Jubilation in Osun over Basiru's emergence as secretary
In Osun, residents of Osogbo, the state capital, thronged the streets yesterday, in jubilation over Basiru's emergence as national secretary.
The residents, chiefly members of the APC in Osogbo and Olorunda embarked on a street rally from Ataoja's palace through Mission road, Old Garage, Olaiya to the State Party Secretariat at Ogo-Oluwa where they were addressed by party leaders.
Addressing party members at the Secretariat, the State APC Secretary, Kamarudeen Alao, described Basiru's emergence as a progressive step for the party in the country and Osun State.
PDP mocks APC over choice of national chairman
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has mocked the APC over its choice of Ganduje as national chairman.
National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, in a statement in Abuja, knocked the APC for choosing a person he described as "ethically challenged." as chairman.
Ologunagba said: "The choice of Dr. Ganduje by the APC as its national chairman, in spite of the stinking corruption and bribery allegations against him in the public domain, further confirms that the APC is a cesspit of corruption and a haven for thieves, bribe takers and treasury looters.
"It also underscores APC's impunity and insensitivity to the demands of honesty, integrity and moral rectitude required of public office holders."
