2 hours ago
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Members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party’s national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The APC NEC meeting took place a day after the party’s caucus met Tuesday night.
At the caucus meeting, party leaders also praised President Tinubu’s administration for turning the economy around, with the GDP growing by 3.84 per cent in the last quarter of 2024 and inflation going downhill.
The party also ratified zoning of the national chairmanship position to the North-west geopolitical zone of the country.
These decisions and others followed the adoption of a motion moved at the meeting by the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) and Imo state governor, Sen. Hope Uzodimma, Wednesday in Abuja.
Ganduje’s predecessor and serving Edo North lawmaker, Senator Adams Oshiomole, who seconded the motion, spoke glowingly of Tinubu’s performance, adding that his chances of reclaiming his seat for another four years would be guaranteed with support from the vast majority of Nigerians.
“I formally rise to wholeheartedly second the motion moved by Governor Hope Uzodimma that a vote of confidence be passed on President Tinubu and on the national leadership of the party,” Oshiomhole said.
…Tinubu reassures
Addressing the meeting, President Tinubu, who expressed gratitude to the NEC members at the party’s leadership, assured that his administration would live up to the progressive ideals of the APC.
He said the commendation from the party’s highest decision-making organ was a call for more hard work. He promised not to fail the party faithful.
“I am happy with your vote of confidence, and I accept it. The vote is a challenge to do more work; we will vigorously pursue our sovereignty in food security, investment and development. I am happy with food prices coming down, especially as Ramadan approaches. The sun is high, and the sky is bright outside. While the rest of the world unravels, we see growth in Nigeria. We are seeing a gradual return to stability. We are seeing improvements. I thank you, governors,” President Tinubu said.
He pledged to continue working assiduously with other arms of government to ensure the greater good for Nigerians and commended APC governors and executives for their continued and unwavering commitment.
“I’m grateful to all Nigerians for the electoral successes recorded from one state to the other. Governors, you have embraced these changes, and I thank the leadership of our party. I also thank members of the National Assembly for expeditiously considering the budget. We can only build the party on a progressive platform to deliver good service to Nigerians,” he said.
Commending the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) for its performance, he said the committee “is doing a very good job; I am pleased with them. However, there are a few conflicts in the various states. Let’s set up committees to look into the lingering problems in the states and appeal to these party leaders in various states to please be calm and be collaborative.”
…Ganduje on stewardship
In his speech, the party’s chairman, Dr Ganduje, said his leadership inherited a whooping sum of N8.987 billion liabilities, including cost of legal engagements during the pre-election matters, election cases and appeals for legislative, governorship and presidential elections.
“Though the journey has been very challenging for us as a ruling party, given the big task we have at hand and the expectations from Nigerians, We can sufficiently submit that we have collectively risen to the occasion and challenges,” he said.
On the need for a new national secretariat building, Ganduje said: “As part of the commitment to secure and own a national secretariat complex befitting of a ruling party and one that would conveniently accommodate our national officers, the newly established The Progressive Institute as well as the three wings of the party, we have formally applied for a land at the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) that will drive this project. May I therefore appeal for the kind intervention of Mr. President for this project to materialise.”
Also speaking, President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio reiterated the National Assembly’s commitment to supporting President Tinubu in lifting the nation from its economic and developmental woes.
“The Senate will expeditiously pass bills that would enhance our national development, improve the economy and redirect our national pathway,” he said.
Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas commended Tinubu for his vision and courage in making unpopular but essential decisions, which according to him, were pivotal for Nigeria’s developmental efforts.
…Spokesman briefs further on decisions
Addressing a press conference shortly after the all-important meeting, the party’s spokesman, Felix Morka, said NEC ratified the zoning for chairmanship seat to the North-west geopolitical zone where Ganduje hails from.
He also said a seven-member committee chaired by Governor Mai Mala Buni, was set up and mandated to undertake the task of including more members into the NEC of the party.
Morka added that NEC approved the party’s financial statement, its audited account and budget for year 2025 financial year.
On the vote of confidence on President Tinubu and Ganduje, Morka said: “Today under the leadership of this president, our country is witnessing something that we haven’t seen in a very long time. We are now consistently exporting goods and services more than we are importing. Our balance of payment has improved drastically and that’s good for the economy. In the oil sector, we have seen a dramatic increase in country’s oil output.
“The agriculture sector was also highlighted, members noted that we are witnessing a surge in that sector when we see more improvement in food productivity which has now started to cause prices to fall.
“So, members expressed a lot of satisfaction with the progress that we are making under the leadership of this president. In the area of security, it was also highlighted that security across the board has also improved remarkably and several of our speakers pay tributes to members of our security forces who are fighting every day, laying their lives down so that we all can sleep well.
“As a result, members of our National Executive Committee today doubled down on the vote of confidence passed on Mr President yesterday at the National caucus meeting. An absolute vote of confidence was passed on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu today.
“In recognition of the administration’s bold and unprecedented programme of economic reform which clearly now, indisputably are beginning to bear fruits and require all of us to support so that our country can continue to develop and assured our future.”
On the party leadership, he said: “NEC also passed a confidence on our National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for the remarkable records of successes he has led the party to. Success is not just in electoral victories but more importantly in holding the party together and forging opportunities for members of the party to dialogue and engage with each other and express themselves ensure cordiality than the competition in the opposition parties.
“That vote of confidence was also extended to the entire National Working Committee as led by Dr Ganduje.”
He added: “Part of the resolution was that the President charged NEC to strengthen existing committees to engage leaders where there are issues and conflict, bring them together and improve relation among them. This is to give the best opportunity to the party to win election in those states.
“APC and its organs are working as effectively as possible. How else do you explain the vibrancy of the party? Today, it was said that more than 18 National Assembly members have decamped from opposition into the APC. If their party is working they would not have come to join us and we welcome them.”
Responding to recent comments made by the former governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, the party’s spokesman urged Nigerians not to take him seriously.
He also faulted the claim by the former governor that the party organs have been rendered prostrate.
“What the former governor of Kaduna said is akin to grievance-driven commentary and we don’t take that seriously. It’s clear he has an axe to grind,” said the spokesman.
…Attendees
The state governors and other prominent party members in attendance include; Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Hyacinth Iormem Alia(Benue), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Abdulahi Sule (Nasarawa), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Ahmed Usman Ododo (Kogi), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger) and that of Governor Umar A. Namadi of Jigawa state among others.
The list of the former governors in attendance include Abdulaziz Yari, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who is also the minister of budget and national planning, Yahaya Bello, and Bello Mattawalle who is the minister of state for defence, among others.
Also in attendance were Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, Deputy Speaker House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Goodwill Akpabio, Speaker House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, and other principal officers of the National Assembly as well as ministers, among others.
But conspicuously absent at the NEC meeting which is the second to be held since President Tinubu came on board were his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo, former Ekiti state Governor Kayode Fayemi, former Senate President Ahmed Lawan, former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila.
When asked to comment on the absence of former President Buhari, Osinbajo, Fayemi and other NEC members, the party’s spokesman, Morka said: “As far as I know I have never known the caucus meeting of our party to be attended 100 percent by all of the members of NEC or caucus and I am not sure there is any meeting you expect 100 percent attendance. There is a lot of back end negotiation of convenience for them to attend.”
He cited the difficulty faced by the party to get President Tinubu to attend the parleys in spite of his busy schedule.
Morka claimed every member of NEC was invited, adding that unknown to many, the trend in the party is bent on accommodating more leaders to attend the NEC.
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