President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday led
other top government officials elected on the platform of the ruling
All Progressives Congress to a meeting of the party’s national caucus.
The meeting was held at the new Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Former Lagos State Governor,
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was conspicuously absentas at time the meeting went into a closed session and this has raised questions from Nigerians.
The meeting is a prelude to today’s
National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party.
The caucus had
on its agenda, only two main issues: consideration of the party’s
constitution amendment and consideration of a report of the committee
set up by the party on true federalism.
Those in attendance, yesterday night,
were Buhari’s deputy, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Bukola
Saraki; Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, state
governors, members of the party’s National Working Committee and other
party chieftains.
Earlier, the party’s spokesman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, All Progressives Congress (APC) revealed that the NEC would meet today and, principally, discuss two items.
“If you recall, after the NEC meeting
last month, I told you that two issues were outstanding and members
asked for more time to study those issues.
“These are the issues of constitutional amendment and the
true federalism committee report. If you look at the calendar whichwas
circulated during the last meeting, we are going to have a convention by
June, and a committee will be set up to that effect. But, no committee
has been set up yet, and it is not on the agenda for the meeting. In any
case, such committee is not set up at the NEC meeting.
“The purpose of bringing the issue of
constitutional amendment to the NEC is to allow members who have issues
to raise and opinion to canvass or perspective to share, to have
opportunity to do so before the final draft is adopted by NEC.
“Once the final draft is adopted by NEC,
you still have the convention which has the final authority to adopt the
amendments. All these are being created to give the various
constituencies within the party the opportunity to canvass their views
and their positions.”