10th NASS: APC NWC To Hold Critical Meeting Today

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is scheduled to hold a critical meeting on Monday (today).

Naija News reports that multiple sources confirmed to The Punch that the APC NWC is meeting today to discuss the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

One of the sources, who pleaded anonymity, said the meeting is a fallout of a closed-door meeting between the party leadership and the president-elect,  Bola Tinubu, on Friday.

The source said “The Friday’s meeting between Asiwaju and the party leadership was held at the Defence House. Aside from Adamu, there were the two deputy chairmen for North (Senator Abubakar Kyari) and South (Emma Enekwu) and the national secretary (Iyiola Omisore) in attendance.

“Arising from that meeting, we understand the president-elect has given them (NWC) the green light to ratify both the zoning and the consensus candidates for the six available seats in both Red and Green Chambers. I have a strong belief that position will be taken on Monday,”

Corroborating the source’s information was the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, Nze Chidi Duru, who confirmed that the NWC would meet on Monday (today).

Duru also said the party would not sanction any aspirant who failed to support the party’s position until the consensus arrangement had been concluded

He submitted that  “Yes, it is true the president-elect met with the leadership of the NWC. By that, I mean Kyari, Enekwu and Omisore. My understanding is that a decision was made to zone the positions. That being the case, they will now report back to us. Once that is done and the party accepts the position, I will be surprised if any party member discusses otherwise.

“There is this need to have a united seamlessly party position. It doesn’t stop anybody who wants to go against the party position. It doesn’t stop anybody who wants to go against the party’s decision from doing so. But if you have a party, there will be consequences for behaviour like that.”

Similarly,  the Director of Publicity for the APC, Bala Ibrahim, confirmed there would be a meeting today.

He noted that every senator-elect has the right to consult or lobby for the position, but then it is left for his colleagues to decide who will best serve the interest of the masses.

Ibrahim stated that “There is nothing wrong with that. It is the beauty of democracy. It allows everyone to try his luck, popularity and will of the people over his ambition. Every aspirant is going to be given a level playing field to advertise and woo members to his side. It is for the senators-elect to decide who think will be able to champion their cause.”