Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the auspices of the Progressives Governors Forum rose from a meeting with members of the National Working Committee of the party Thursday night to say that it was not compulsory for President Muhammadu Buhari to preside over the Federal Executive Council meeting.
The governors also resolved to conduct a fund raising exercise at a yet to be announced date to ensure that the activities of the national secretariat and other organs of the party that has suffered due to lack of funds function properly.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, Kaduna state governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai said the governors and the leadership of the party were not worried about the inability of the President to preside over the FEC meeting for the third time in a roll.
The Kaduna governor said at 74, it was a normal thing for the President to have health challenge, pointing out that while the absence of the President from the meeting may not be unconnected with his health situation, they were “not worried about the development, it is not compulsory for the President to preside over every Federal Executive Council (FEC) that is why our constitution makes available the place of the Vice President.
“Mr. President is 74 years old; at that age it is possible to have one ailment or the other, even I at 57 take medications for one ailment or the other. Our prayers is that the president gets better.
“But the reason he has a Vice President is because of a time like this. It may not be as a reason of sickness that he didn’t attend FEC. He may have had other pressing issues to attend to. I have not had to chair every state Executive Council in Kaduna state because the deputy governor is there, if I have other issues of greater priority to attend to.
“We are not worried yet or have any reason to be worried but I call on every Nigerian to join all of us to pray for the improve health of the President. It has improved in the last few weeks since he came back and we will continue to pray for his improve health.”
On the decisions arrived at during the meeting, he said “The most important decision is that henceforth we will hold a meeting here at the National secretariat once every month.
“This is with a view to increase the interaction, foster relations between the National and state branches of the party as well as work towards strengthening the party. We also took certain resolutions and the first is that the Progressives governors have committed to work acidulously at strengthening and rebuilding the party and ensuring reconciliation and unification of the party at all levels.
“We have committed to providing the NWC all the support that they need. We will also engage in fund raising from our donors and sympathizers of the APC to ensure that the National headquarters of the party and indeed all organs of the party have the wherewithal to continue with the difficult work they have been doing within the party.
“The joint meeting between the NWC and the governors also resolved to that at our next meeting, we are going to look at the arrangements for the midterm convention and put in place the resources needed to ensure that the convention hold as required by our party.
“The governors reinstate their loyalty to Mr. President, the Vice President and all the leaders of our party. We enjoin Nigerians to continue to pray for the improved health of the President.
“We are proud as a party and as governors that the state governments under the APC have recorded progress in the last few months and the increasing performance of the federal government at the National level. The governors will continue to advance the course of good governance, fighting corruption, improving security in our country.”
Four governors of the party, namely Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Godwin Obaseki of Edo state and Jibrilla Bindo of Adamawa were absent at the meeting. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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Why would it be compulsory for Buhari to preside over FEC meeting when obviously he cannot.
ReplyDeleteAll of you who sees a better route for Nigeria to come out of its present state of predicament but are holding back from the truth because of reasons known only to you will surely inherit the wrath of God.
Nigeria is not a home for any individual, family, ethnic or religious body.
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