…As Buhari, Osinbajo, El-Rufai absent at APC NEC meeting
President Bola Tinubu has expressed optimism about Nigeria’s future, saying that the country is witnessing improvements in security and economic stability.
Speaking at the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday evening, Tinubu reassured party members that his administration’s policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies, are yielding positive results.
“The sunny side of this country is on the horizon; things are getting better,” Tinubu said. “The days of gloom are gone, and the sun is rising.”
He highlighted improvements in security, citing testimonies from individuals in previously volatile regions.
“One of the most challenged individuals in terms of security, Yari, has given testimony. It has done so much for many of us,” he said.
He also referenced the situation in Sambisa and Birnin Gwari, where he claimed farmers are now able to work and reap the benefits of their labour.
On the economy, the president defended his administration’s decision to remove the fuel subsidy, arguing that Nigeria could not have survived its continuation.
He stated that the policy shift has significantly increased federal allocations to states and local governments, allowing for more funding for education and other critical sectors.
“Today, I can beat my chest, and each of the governors here, that allocations to the states have tripled,” Tinubu said. “We have enough funding for the local government, and we have the NELFUND to fund our children in school.”
The president called for unity and strategic repositioning, urging Nigerians to support the government’s forward-looking agenda.
Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to the APC manifesto and progressive governance, promising that his administration remains focused on policies that will improve the lives of Nigerians.
However, the APC National Executive Committee (NEC), the party’s decision- making body, has passed a vote of confidence in the Tinubu-led administration.
Read also: Security, tax, budget top Tinubu’s 2025 to-do list
The vote of confidence was passed during the NEC meeting held at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, state governors, and other party bigwigs.
The last time the party held a NEC meeting was in August 2023, when Umar Ganduje and Ajibola Basiru were named as national chairman and national secretary respectively.
Buhari, Osinbajo, El-Rufai absent at APC NEC meeting
Conspicuously absent from the NEC meeting were former President Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Nasir El-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State; and Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State and ex-minister of transport.
Garba Shehu, the spokesperson for Buhari, said the former president was absent at the meeting because he received the invitation late.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is not a caucus member of the party. He was supposed to attend the NEC meeting, but unfortunately the invitation to the meeting was forwarded to him on Monday and it reached him on Tuesday. For this, he could not leave Daura for Abuja even if he owns a private jet,” Garba told BBC Hausa.
El-Rufai had earlier said that he won’t be attending the NEC meeting because of short notice, which he claimed violated the party’s constitution.
The former Kaduna governor, who had recently called out the ruling party for not holding NEC meetings since 2023, noted that the party’s constitution stipulated 14 or 21 days’ notice before such a meeting could be held.
“Unfortunately, I won’t attend the APC national caucus meeting, because I will be on my way to Cairo where I spend most of my time. I didn’t get adequate notice.
“The constitution of our party requests 21 days or I think 14 days’ notice for this kind of national organ meeting. I don’t think that notice was given. If it was given, I don’t think I’d have received such an invitation,” El-Rufai said in a recent interview with Arise TV.
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