NEWS Party governors postpones meeting on dwindling fortunes of nation’s revenue. The Interim National Executive Committee, NEC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, will on Tuesday, take a position on the National Conference proposed by President Goodluck Jonathan in his Independence Day broadcast to the nation. This is just as the 11 governors of the party postponed their meeting, earlier scheduled for Monday in Abuja. The opposition governors had planned the parley to discuss the dwindling oil revenue, which has resulted in the reduction of what accrues to the 36 states from the Federation Account. PREMIUM TIMES gathered that at the Tuesday meeting, apart from deliberating on the proposed national dialogue for which a 13-member committee had been inaugurated by the Peoples Democratic Party -led Federal Government, the APC NEC would also deliberate on the harmonisation of the state party structures as well as its preparation for the governorship election in Anambra State. It was, however, not clear if APC’s position on the national dialogue would differ from that of a national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu , who, last week, described it as a “Greek gift” from Mr. Jonathan. Some other officials of the party including Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti expressed similar views. Upon his arrival from a medical trip abroad earlier in the month, Mr Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, said the planned conference was not only diversionary but also deceptive. Apart from the former governor, some pro-democracy activists and ethnic nationalities had criticised the dialogue, saying a Sovereign National Conference, SNC, would have been desirable. Tuesday’s meeting, which would be presided over by the interim National Chairman, Bisi Akande, would tackle the ceaseless challenges arising from the harmonisation of the structures at the grassroots following the merger of some opposition parties a few months ago The parties were the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN; All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP; Congress for Progressive Change, CPC; and a section of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA. Meanwhile, the Director General of the APC Governors Forum Secretariat, Salihu Lukman, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview on Monday night that the meeting of the governors of the party, had been postponed. The governors are Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Rauf Aregebsola (Osun), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo). The others are Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo). Mr. Lukman did not however, give reason for the decision neither did he state when the meeting would hold. “I can confirm to you that the meeting has been postponed. I will get back to you to inform you about the new date,” he said. The Forum is yet to appoint its chairman among the governors.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Oct 2013 08:21:53 +0000
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