The All Progressives Congress says consultations are underway among key stakeholders to convene an emergency National Executive Committee meeting aimed at selecting a new national chairman following the resignation of Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.
The party, however, clarified that no specific date has been fixed for either the NEC or National Caucus meetings.
The clarification was made by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, when he was featured as a guest on Sunday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Ganduje tendered his resignation on Friday, citing health-related concerns.
His exit comes amid mounting tension and internal wrangling within the ruling party.
In the interim, the APC Deputy National Chairman (North), Bukar Dalori, has assumed the position in an acting capacity.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the next leadership, Morka stressed that the APC is not under any pressure to rush the selection process.
He said, “The NEC meeting of our party will be convened imminently. No date has been set yet.
“This is an extraordinary situation following the resignation of our national chairman, and we will take steps immediately to fill the vacancy.”
He added that consultations are already ongoing among critical party figures, and a date for the NEC meeting will be announced once consensus is reached.
“I believe that in the coming days, we will determine the date for the NEC meeting to happen.
“And we will proceed to convene that meeting and have the party invoke its constitutional procedures to replace our national chairman who has just resigned.
“But we are consulting. There are many stakeholders who are required to be present to convene.
“So, as we speak, that process has been triggered and consultation is ongoing. We hope that in the coming days, we will be at a point where we can identify a date that’s agreeable to those who need to be there to make it happen,” he noted.
No Knowledge of Kwankwaso’s Defection
When asked about the possibility of former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, defecting from the New Nigeria People’s Party to the APC with his Kwankwasiyyan loyalists, Morka dismissed the rumour as speculative.
Morka declared, “The party that I speak for has made no such determination.
“But should anything change, Nigerians will definitely be informed.”
He described the APC as a young party still navigating its internal transitions and reaffirmed the party’s ability to bounce back from leadership changes.
“But one thing is clear, which is that every time it happens, we are on standby permanently to rebound and correct whatever it is.
“Just as we have discussed, our NEC meeting is in the offing and we will convene that meeting. We will again have a new national chairman to continue from where Dr Ganduje stopped,” he stated.
On zoning and speculation that the next national chairman may emerge from the North Central region, Morka maintained that only the NEC has the constitutional power to make that decision.
He continued, “Every region has its own aspirations.
“The people of North Central are free to advocate for their interest. But the final decision will be taken when the NEC convenes and all views are considered.”
He emphasized that party leadership decisions are a product of negotiations rather than pre-set directives.
Tinubu Didn’t Force Ganduje Out
Responding to speculation that President Bola Tinubu may have influenced Ganduje’s resignation, Morka dismissed the claims as baseless.
He said, “I call it speculation, because the president hasn’t said nothing to nobody that I’m aware of. The president is the president. He is at liberty to speak at any moment on any issue concerning the party or the country.
“We know people will speculate with the ruling party, the largest party in Africa. So, obviously, I am not surprised there is a lot of speculation out there about what has happened and why it happened.
“But all that counts is that a NEC meeting will convene and we will discuss and resolve this matter like we have done in the past.”
The NEC and National Caucus are two of the party’s highest decision-making bodies and are expected to be presided over by President Tinubu, with Vice President Kashim Shettima also in attendance.
Other key figures anticipated at the meetings include former President Muhammadu Buhari; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; former and current APC governors; serving and former Speakers of the House of Representatives; state chairmen of the party; members of the National Working Committee, and other top stakeholders.
