Tension in APC as Presidency Moves to Extend Ganduje, NWC Members’ Tenure for Tinubu’s Ticket
The president’s schemes to extend the tenure of national officials in an attempt to tighten its control over the All Progressives Congress (APC) national secretariat are upsetting influential party members.
Even while tensions within the party are rising, the president is committed to making sure that a new ticket for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is secured smoothly in advance of the general elections in 2027.
Plans are in motion to prolong the terms of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) members, under the leadership of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, past the upcoming general election, Saturday Tribune has learned.
Similar extensions might also be given to state chapter leaders in order to avoid electing new national and state offices, which might result in legal challenges and increased polarization within the party at the state level.
The notion of obtaining tenure extensions for Ganduje and state leaders was discussed at the national caucus meeting that took place prior to the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja in February, according to sources.
In order to indicate party support for the extension plans, Felix Morka, the APC National Publicity Secretary, read a vote of confidence in Ganduje’s NWC at the end of that meeting.
During a NEC meeting in August 2023, Senators Iyiola Omisore and Abdullahi Adamu were removed, and Ganduje and Senator Ajibola Basiru were elected as the national chairman and secretary, respectively. Adamu and Omisore were chosen at the APC National Convention in Abuja in March 2022.
The APC Constitution (2022 as modified) states in Article 17(1) that party officers are elected to four-year terms, with the option to be re-elected or reappointed for one more term.
According to the article: “Unless otherwise specified in this Constitution, all Party officers elected or appointed to the Party’s organs shall serve in such organs for a period of four (4) years and shall be eligible for re-election or reappointment for another period of four (4) years only.”
However, the proposed tenure extension has angered first-term governors, many of whom are angry about their predecessors’ supporters being imposed at the state and federal levels.
These governors are keen to pick their own supporters, but the president’s meddling in the process has caused conflict.
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Ticketing federal lawmakers who defected to the APC automatically is another point of disagreement.
Before openly declaring their defection, a number of senators and members of the House of Representatives had agreements from the president for automatic tickets, according to Tribune.
Such agreements were allegedly obtained by senators like Ned Nwoko (Delta North) and Ezenwa Onyewuchi (Imo East), who defected from the Labour Party. In the House of Representatives, Salman Idris (Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency), who left the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, daughter of PDP leader James Ibori, also benefit from this agreement.
While these politicians are reaping the rewards of their new connections, other party members interested in these posts have privately complained about the impending presidential imposition of candidates, expressing concern that the procedure will undermine internal party democracy.
