Ikenna Atanah
The National Executive Committee, NEC, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, December announced the dissolution of all states, zonal, and national party structures.
The NEC also extended the tenure of the party’s caretaker extraordinary convention planning committee; led by Governor Mai Buni by six months.
This decision to dismantle all the APC political structures across the country was taken at a meeting of the committee attended by President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; as well as other party chiefs.
In his reaction at the end of the meeting, Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai told the media that the APC also approved the expulsion of former National Vice Chairman, South-south, Ntufam Hilliard Eta; for his failure to withdraw the court case instituted against the caretaker committee.
Meanwhile, President Buhari in his opening remark at the meeting appealed to APC members at all levels to make sacrifices that will move the party forward.
The President said, “I want to appeal to all our party members and leaders at all levels; to try and make the required sacrifices; so that we are able to collectively restore our progressive and democratic political party; which can nurture and give expression to our collective dream of building a strong; united and developed Nigeria.”
He also said, “May I use this opportunity to remind all of us of the need to recreate our negotiation secret; of 2012, 2013 under our legacy parties. What guided our success to achieve the merger that produced the APC was the respect we were able to have for each other.
“In those times, decisions reached both formal and informal consultations were respected; with trusted initiatives taken and believed that they were needed to produce the required political platform; that could guarantee electoral victory.
“Everyone of us as leaders ensured that those decisions were respected. I have through consultations of the caretaker committee and other leaders of the party; agree that our challenges in the party require that we take steps to rebuild the party; from wards to national levels.
“The initiative to carry out membership registration revalidation is, therefore, a necessary, membership registration revalidation will lay the foundation for reorganizing our membership from ward to local government, state, and national levels.
“The responsibility of our party’s NEC at this meeting is to adopt and dispassionately consider all proposals submitted by the caretaker committee and grant all the necessary approvals requested to rebuild the party.”