AS the countdown to the National Executive Committee meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress begins, the leadership of the party has dismissed speculation that President Bola Tinubu may ask the National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, to resign.
The speculation was dispelled by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru, in an exclusive interview with this newspaper on the eve of the National Caucus meeting.
When quizzed on the agenda of the NEC meeting amidst rumours of the President dropping Ganduje from the leadership position of the ruling party, Basiru said the report was a figment of imagination in the heads of those spinning it.
He said, “There is nothing like that. The NEC is a routine meeting and not an elective one. We have been trying to have it since September last year. But now, it is confirmed we will have a national caucus on Tuesday and an NEC on Wednesday.
“Basically, the agenda is to consider the project of the party for 2025 and also the financial statements as required under the electoral law.
“We will also give reports about the re-registration of members of the party that will commence very soon and then brief the leadership about the Progressive Institute that has been established by the party as an intellectual and ideological arm of the party.”
The APC scribe explained the activities would form part of the agenda for the meeting of APC leaders and stakeholders coming for the carnival-like session.
Meanwhile, the former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, had announced that he would not be joining President Tinubu and other party bigwigs at the APC national secretariat for Wednesday’s NEC session.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory disclosed this when he was featured as a guest on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday in what he touted as his first interview with any notable media house.
According to him, he wasn’t served any notice of invitation and would be flying out to Egypt on the same day.
He said, “Unfortunately, I will not be. I will be on my way back to Cairo where I spend most of my time. I didn’t get adequate notice. The constitution of our party requires 21 days, I think, or 14 days’ notice for this kind of national organ meeting. I don’t think that notice has been given.
“If it has been, I have not received the invitation two weeks to three weeks ago. So I have my plans, and I’m leaving tomorrow. But many of my friends will attend, so I will not miss anything. I will get to know what was discussed.”
The planned gathering of the APC bigwigs and party stakeholders would be Ganduje’s first since he took over the leadership of the National Working Committee.
Recall that the appointment of both the former Kano governor and the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru were ratified at the last NEC held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on August 3, 2023.
The crucial sessions of the two statutory organs of the party are expected to be chaired by President Bola Tiinubu and would also have Vice President Kashim Shettima and former President Muhammadu Buhari in attendance.
Also expected are the National Chairman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje; the current Senate President, Dr Godswill Akpabio and his predecessor; past and present APC governors; former and serving Speakers of the House of Representatives of the party; state party chairmen; the National Working Committee and other stakeholders.