Buhari rejects tenure elongation for Oyegun, others

Zina Network:


President Muhammadu Buhari has shocked members of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress by calling for the cancellation of tenure extension for party officials.
The APC extended by one year the tenure of members of the committee led by John Odigie-Oyegun on February 28th.

But the President said the tenure extension is against the party constitution and the Nigerian constitution, and he does not want the party’s activities to be faulted by any court of law.
NEC members were shocked because the issue of tenure extension was not in the agenda circulated ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.

Buhari spoke before the commencement of NEC meeting in favour of the cancelling of the tenure extension decision.

“On my own part, I have taken some time to review and seek advice on the resolution. And what I found is that it contravenes both our party constitution and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“While the APC constitution, in article 17(1) and 13.2(B), limits the tenure of elected officers to four years, renewable once by another election, the 1999 constitution of Nigeria (as amended), in section 223, also prescribes periodic elections for party executives at regular intervals, which must not exceed four years.

“Furthermore, article 31 of our party constitution provides that any principal officer wishing to re-contest or contest for another post, must resign from his current post at least one month before the election

“In this circumstance, what is expected of us is to conduct fresh elections, once the tenure of the current executives approaches its end. A caretaker committee cannot remedy this situation, and cannot validly act in place of elected officers,” the president said.

Buhari said he changed his mind over the extension of tenure for Oyegun and others because he does not want the party’s activities to be faulted by any court of law.

Recall that during a NEC meeting of the party on February 28, the tenure of members of National Working Committee (NWC) led by John Odigie-Oyegun was extended by one year.