Buhari confirms APC NEC meeting for Friday

Kamarudeen Ogundele and Chukwudi Akasike

President Muhammadu Buhari  has  confirmed the All Progressives Congress National Executive Council meeting for Friday.

However, the party’s  National Working Committee  is expected to hold an emergency meeting  today in Abuja.

The Peoples Democratic Party will  also hold an emergency meeting today to deliberate on   Saturday’s  governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states, which they lost.

Also on Tuesday, Rivers  State Governor Nyesom Wike made a veiled reference to the APC’s victory in the Bayelsa governorship poll, saying Rivers would be the next target of the party by “the enemies”.

Our correspondent learnt  that the APC’s  emergency meeting   was aimed at  setting  agenda for the National Caucus meeting on Thursday.

A top member of the party told our correspondent on Tuesday that  the NWC meeting  “is strategic” as it would lay foundation for deliberations at the caucus meeting.

Vacant leadership positions in the party are also expected to be on  the front burner as new occupants could emerge this week subject to  ratification by the NEC.

The source said, “We are meeting tomorrow (Wednesday)  to set agenda for the caucus meeting because some of us  (NWC members) are not members of the national caucus so have we have to lend our voice to the position that will be taken to the caucus meeting.”

Another NWC member confirmed to our correspondent that zonal chairmen had been asked to come with the  names of candidates for the vacant positions in their zones for deliberation first at the NWC meeting, then at the caucus meeting.

 “The positions have been zoned and micro-zoned to states but we have a situation that lobbying has been intense to jettison the arrangement so the caucus is playing a key role in the final outcome before the ratification by the NEC,” the source said.

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, could not be reached on his mobile line on Tuesday for comment.

He had also yet to respond to a text message on the agenda of the meeting as of  the time of filing this report.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan,   on Tuesday confirmed the party’s meeting in Abuja.

Ologbondiyan said, “We have not held a meeting. We are going to hold a meeting tomorrow.”

Wike, who spoke  when a delegation of Amayanabo of Wakrike Kingdom of Okrika visited him in Port Harcourt, said, “Unfortunately, one of our states is gone to the enemies. But God will help us.

“For us who are from Rivers State, we should know that there will be attack on us because the enemy has entered our territory. They will attack us, but with your prayer, Rivers State will prevail.”

Also on Tuesday,  ex-Ekiti State governor  Ayodele Fayose  condemned the conduct of the Kogi and  Bayelsa polls.

Fayose, who spoke through his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said,“What happened in the two states was clear war and allocation of figures. What happened in Kogi and Bayelsa was open to all Nigerians to see.”