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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has summoned meetings of its national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC).
The National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore made the announcement in a statement posted on the official Twitter handle of the APC.
The meetings, which will hold on July 10 and 11 respectively, are expected to serve as avenues to resolve the lingering crisis rocking the party.
The crucial sessions of the two statutory organs of the party will be chaired by President Bola Tinubu, while Vice President Kashim Shettima, former President Muhammadu Buhari, past and present APC governors as well as former and current Senate Presidents, Speakers of House of Representatives of the party, the National Working Committee and other party stakeholders would also be in attendance.
According to the statement, both meetings will take place at two separate venues.
“The national caucus meeting is scheduled to hold on Monday, July 10 by 6.00 pm prompt. Venue is Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja. All Members of the national caucus are by this invitation to take notice of the meeting in accordance with article 12.5 of the APC Constitution.
“The NEC meeting, however, is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, July 11 at 11.00 am prompt at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. All Members of the National Executive Committee are by this invitation to take notice of the meeting in accordance with article 12.3 of the APC Constitution,” Omisore said.
The NEC meeting, it was gathered may also determine the fate of the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, who have been accused of flouting the party’s constitution.
Recall that the National Vice Chairman (North West) of APC, Mallam Salihu Lukman, had raised an alarm that Adamu was running the party like an army barrack with him as the garrison commander.
Earlier, the Kaduna-born politician had dragged both Adamu and Omisore, for failing to account for sales of nomination forms to political candidates, not calling for a NEC meeting for over a year and breach of the party’s constitution.
Aside from repeatedly accusing the party chairman of running a one-man show, Lukman also averred that he reduced the NWC members to a mere rubber stamp to validate decisions he singlehandedly made.
According to him, Adamu’s refusal to call NEC meeting was a deliberate move to sabotage the system by allowing relevant party organs that would have checkmated him to remain in a dormant state.
In the suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja through his counsel, Mohammed Kabir Abdullahi, APC was listed as the first defendant while Adamu, Omisore, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were joined as second, third and fourth defendants respectively.
As the internal wrangling gradually degenerated into noticeable cracks within the party, a committee was urgently set up at the instance of concerned NWC members.
To save the party from further embarrassment, the committee begged Lukman to withdraw his lawsuit with a pledge that all his grievances would be addressed including calling for the crucial NEC meeting.