How President Buhari's Ill-health, Power Play Stalls APC Convention

Buhari

hehe...... A member of the National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress, has revealed real reasons why the party's convention is still being stalled.

Fresh facts have emerged on why the non-elective mini-convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to suffer series of postponements.

 

It was gathered that the ill health of President Muhammadu Buhari, the financial crisis rocking the party, as well as the divisions among its leaders forced the party convention into abeyance.

 

A member of the party’s national leadership, who spoke to Daily Sun in confidence, disclosed that the National Working Committee (NWC) had to cancel the first convention, earlier fixed for April 29, 2017 because the Presidency was not comfortable with the date, adding that they had promised to give them a new date.

 

Although the party constitution, which stipulated that the party must organise convention every two years, did not specify the consequences of such failure on the future of the leadership of the party, the situation has, however, created palpable tension and speculation of impeachment moves against the party chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and his NWC members.

 

However, reacting to the indefinite postponement, a source noted that while the party leadership awaited a new date from the Presidency, Buhari’s health challenge forced them into discontinuing discussions on the new date, stressing that his current health status was the main reason for the indefinite postponement.

 

Said he: “Don’t forget that it is not possible for the party to hold national convention without President Buhari being physically present. The President must be part of the convention, especially to forestall the dangers of certain forces and factions within the party threatening to hijack the party machinery from succeeding.

“Mr. President’s health challenges necessitated the delay in the Presidency giving the party leadership new date for the convention after rejecting the April date the party leadership initially fixed earlier this year. Now that Mr. President is out of country on medical trip to London, we have to discontinue every arrangement about the convention until he returns in good health.”

 

Giving further reasons for the continued postponement, our source said the financial crisis rocking the party equally contributed majorly to the problem, adding that even if the President had sound health, funds must come from other sources, especially state governors.

“Finance is a big factor, but I can tell you that it is not only that. You know that even if the president were in very good health, the party will still need the governors making financial commitments to enable us organise a quality convention, which will involve thousands of delegates across the country,” our source said.

 

However, speaking on the convention recently, Odigie-Oyegun said the APC postponed it indefinitely, stressing that no date had been fixed yet.