All Progressives Congress has opposed the elongation of tenure

 

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has opposed the elongation of tenure of the party’s national and state executives, saying it is against the country  and  the party’s constitutions.

Rising from a Consultative Forum held at the 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, Chief John

Odigie-Oyegun, and his executives by one year was against the spirit of the country’s and the APC’s constitutions.

The Lagos State Central Senatorial District Leader of the party, Chief Tajudeen Olusi, spoke with journalists after the 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.”

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.

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.

The tenure of Oyegun and its executives is due to expire in June this year.

Olusi  also quoted Section 223 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as amended to buttress  his argument.According to him, the section , specifically “states that the constitution and rules of a political party shall provide for the periodical election on a democratic basis of the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of the political party; and ensure that the members of the executive committee or other governing body of the political party reflect the federal character of Nigeria.”

“For the purposes of this section,  the election of the officers or members of the executive committee of a political party shall be deemed to be periodical only if it is made at regular intervals not exceeding four years.

“In extending the tenure, the APC National Executive Committee had relied on Article 13.3 (ii) of its constitution which states that the NEC can discharge the functions of the convention in a period of emergency.

“But the provision in Article 13.3 (ii) is not limitless and open-ended. It is a responsibility restricted by the same constitution, which provides exclusively under Article 30 (i) that: “This Constitution and Schedules hereto can be amended only by the National Convention of the party.

“The party’s constitution provides the processes for constitution amendment, which he said had not been met before the extension was granted.