Tenure enlongation: El-Rufai, Akeredolu, Bellon, Lalong differ with Buhari
April 05, 2018
By Olayinka Ajayi
[caption id="attachment_45999" align="alignleft" width="761"] Buhari with El Rufai[/caption] Four Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has opposed President Muhammadu Buhari’s stance on tenure elongation for the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) led by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
According to the closed-door meeting held in Abuja between President Buhari and all the APC Governors ended in a deadlock.
The Governors are Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Yahaya Bello (Kogi) and Simon Lalong (Plateau).
The Governors declined comments after the meeting, with one of them stating they were directed not to speak with reporters.
According to a reliable source who pleaded anonymity said: “The President convened the meeting in order to discuss the minor differences we have had since the President told NEC meeting that it was better to hold elective congresses and National Convention.
“Views were expressed for and against the one-year tenure extension for the NWC. There were rationalised ideas by those who wanted Oyegun’s tenure extended.
“Governors El-Rufai, Akeredolu, Yahaya Bello and Simon Lalong were on reason that the tenure of the NWC should be extended by one year.
“Each of them stood up to rationalise the tenure extension by claiming that whatever the NEC does is legal and it won’t have consequences on the legality of APC’s electoral victory in 2019.
“They warned that congresses and National Convention could divide the party and lead to a split before the 2019 polls. They said it would be better to keep the party united than leaving it in disarray.
“But other governors queried the affront of pro-tenure elongation governors in revisiting the advisory of the President on the need to follow the 1999 Constitution and the APC Constitution.
“Those who supported Buhari’s position expressed disappointment that Oyegun went ahead to inaugurate a technical committee which they considered to be an ‘affront to the President,” he said.
