The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has kicked against the elongation of tenure of the party’s national and state executives, saying it is against the country’s and APC’s constitutions.
Rising from a Consultative Forum held at State House Marina, Lagos and attended by party elders from across the state, the leaders said the extension of the tenure of the party’s National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, and his executives by one year is against the spirit of the relevant constitutions.
President Muhammadu Buhari had in February appointed APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, to lead a reconciliation committee designed to resolve disagreements among party members, party leadership and political office holders in some states of the federation.
Tinubu, who was governor of Lagos from 1999 to 2007, has publicly campaigned against Odigie-Oyegun’s chairmanship of the party.
The Lagos APC, which is under Tinubu’s control, argues that Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides for periodical election on a democratic basis for principal officers and members of the executive committee of political parties.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the party said: “According to the constitution, election of the officers or members of the executive committee of a political party will be deemed to be periodical if done at regular intervals not exceeding four years.
“Article 17 of the party’s constitution also provides for a four-year tenure for its national and state executives, which is renewable for another four years.”
Lagos State Central Senatorial District Leader of the party, Tajudeen Olusi, spoke with journalists after Tuesday’s consultative forum.
He said: “We have taken reports of the state APC chairman in respect of the NEC meeting held in Abuja. We have also had the privilege of receiving great reports from our leader from the reconciliation committee.
“We have considered the issue of extension of tenure and we are of the firm belief that the decision is a breach of the constitution of our party and of the country. We are against the elongation of tenure.
“We shall continue to make our decision known to the party and to the president.”
The tenure of Odigie-Oyegun and its executives was due to expire in June this year but the National Executive Committee of the party extended it by a year at a meeting held in Abuja last week.
