BUHARI'S ON TENURE EXTENSION: IT'S DEMOCRACY IN ACTION- Northeast Vice Chair Says

BUHARI'S ON TENURE EXTENSION: IT'S DEMOCRACY IN ACTION- Northeast Vice Chair Says

By Billy Graham Abel Yola

The National Vice Chairman, North East of the APC and a member of the APC's National Executive Committee, NEC, Comrade Salisu Mustapha says, president Muhamadu Buhari's statement on the tenure elongation for members of the party executives has not changed anything within the party as the current members of NEC are still in full grasp of the party affairs until June 2018 when their tenure will officially expire.

Salisu Mustapha maintained that the president's is actually democracy in acrion and a statement that should be seen as a strong statement defining the party as a party owned by the Nigerian people and that APC has the capacity to accommodate plurality of ideas and to cherish diverse democratic voices which is a critical component that differentiates the party from other party’s in the country. 

Comrade Salisu Mustapha made the remarks over the weekend during an interactive session with newsmen in Yola Adamawa state.

Mustapha said, “APC is not a party where one person stays at home and dictates what should be done in the party. 

"We are opened to new ideas and ideas are meant to be challenged in order to improve the party and forged a stronger future for the party.

Salisu Mustapha said, “The president’s statement has not changed anything within the party structure from the national to state level especially as to who is running the party right now. 

"The tenure of this current executives is due to end in june, which means they are still in charge of the party affairs.

“However, the party has already set up a committee to look into the president’s comments with the view of finding the best solution to move the party forward.”

Comrade Mustapha emphasized that the statement by the president does not affect those at the helm of the party affairs nationwide unless the committee comes up with a decision which might be either for an elective congress or a decision to retain this current executives and I assure, whatever is the decision, everyone within the party will welcome it. 

"But nothing has really changed concerning the leadership of the party from ward to the nation level.”

Speaking on why the NEC's tenure was extended he said, 

“The two NEC meetings of the party in which one endorses the motion to reappoint this current NEC, state executives and ward executives to run the party’s affairs for one more year and that decision was reached due to the fact that we considered that we will be having series of party elections within ten months. 

“We will have ward, local governments, state governments congresses, we will also be having zonal and national conventions and we will also be having primaries for state assemblies,  governorship, national assemblies and national convention, which are tedious, so it was agreed that we should reappoint this present NEC to continue running the party's affairs."

Salisu said, “It was in the second NEC that the president raised the observation that the decision is contrary to the constitution of the country and that of the party based on advise from the Justice department explaining that the tenure structure of the party prescribes a four year term which a good observation but other members of the party still feel strongly that it is not a tenure elongation or extension but appointment in acting capacity giving example that if there is a disaster that stops us from conducting elections would the party cease to exist, no, there will be appointments of interim leadership who to run the affairs of the party. 

"It just boils down to the fact that if you have hundred lawyers on this issue, you will possibly have hundred judgments.”

“But I want to assure you that this is a party affairs and it gladdens my heart that this is happening in a ruling party in Nigeria. 

"We are actually seeing democracy in action and we are overstretching the constitution to find out what is best for our people.

“We have already set up a committee of learned colleagues drawn from the governors side, from the legislative side and every other stakeholder in the party with the goal reaching a cogent decision on whether to allow the executives to continue in acting capacity or to go for congress immediately with the full consciousness that the party is still in control of the current NEC.”

“The decision for appointment of this NEC still stands unless we are able to get a political decision that suggests a reversal. 

"But NEC is the highest organ of the party after convention and one of the functions of NEC includes acting for convention in between convention, so any decision taken by NEC can only be reversed by NEC or in a convention. 

"Am sure if the committee comes up with a decision that requires an election, the NEC will see reasons to do.”

Speaking on the illegality of the the tenure extension Mustapha said, “President Muhammadu Buhari is a democrat and what he raised that day opened the matter for party discussion and the committee set up will find a middle ground leading to 2019 elections."

Mustapha explained that the party has not lost its quality of internal democracy saying, “The only reason why this is in the public domain is because APC has decided to do things differently from what other parties do where one man can sit in his room and decides what the party should do unchallenged. 

“It is our way of giving the party back to the people. All the stakeholders have their hands on deck to push forward the interest of the party above party interest. 

"We are ready to relinquish our offices to strengthen the position of the party, that is why the chairman responded positively to the president’s request and set machinery in motion to strengthen the party and address every gray areas within the party.

“The structure of the party remains intact with state governors as leaders of the party at state levels, the state executives and ward levels and the party will always remains strong behind anything that makes our party stronger and better.”