Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, jubilates and commends President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring as illegal the extension for one year the tenure of John Odigie-Oyegun and members of his executive 

BOLA Tinubu, a national leader of All Progressives Congress, APC, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for declaring the elongation of the tenure of John Odigie-Oyegun and members of his National Working Committee, NWC, as illegal.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, March 27, Tinubu said that the straight manner in which the president made the pronouncement affirmed the APC “remains faithful to the principles of internal democracy and the rule of law.”

According to the party leader, the president’s action has saved the party from serious legal turmoil. “If the elongations were deemed illegal then all subsequent party actions, including the nomination of all of our candidates for elective offices, might also be of questionable legality. Such a predicament would constitute an unnecessary and mortal blow to the party and its role in promoting progressive governance to Nigeria.”

Besides, he said Buhari also affirmed that the APC is a party based on the rule of law coupled with a firm adherence to internal democracy. “While it would have been easy to allow the ill-conceived motion of February 27, to stand, President Buhari showed principle and courage by steering the party back to its original and correct path,” he said.

Nevertheless, in exhilaration, Tinubu declared: “The President has spoken. Today is a good day for those who cherish democracy and legality.  His action will also serve to strengthen the party by allowing party members, including present incumbents, to seek to contribute to the party by vying for executive offices as they see fit.

“His action will go far in advancing the process of internal reconciliation that is now underway. It is a time for the party to move forward and begin to plan and organize the needed congresses according to the existing timetables. After all, a party bearing the name All Progressives Congress should be the last party to resist holding congresses in which all its people have a fair say and fair chance to aspire to any position in the party for which they are qualified to hold.

“Again, this is a good day for the APC and democratic political practice in Nigeria. We shun the politics of old to move toward a new and better way of governing ourselves and this nation.”

– Mar. 27, 2018 @ 18:08 GMT |