Barring last minute changes, the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress will, on Wednesday, meet in Abuja.The PUNCH learnt on Monday that the APC’s NWC would discuss the outcome of the general elections and the party’s zoning formula.
The meeting will be followed by that of the National Executive Committee, which is expected to ratify decisions reached by the NWC.
The date of the NEC meeting, it was learnt, had not been fixed.
It was learnt that the meeting was scheduled for Wednesday to enable the party members in Rivers, Imo, Akwa Ibom and Taraba states to conclude issues relating to Saturday’s governorship election.
The NWC, investigations showed, would discuss zoning of postions including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Senate President, deputy Senate Presidency, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the deputy speaker of the House.
Investigations showed that the meeting would also focus on key ministerial appointments, including the Ministers of Petroleum and the Federal Capital Territory.
It was learnt that the APC had before the election tentatively zoned the Senate Presidency to the South-East, but the party did not win any senatorial seat in the zone.
A chieftain of the party, who confided in one of our correspondents, said, “The meeting of the NWC has been tentatively fixed for Wednesday. We will review outcomes of the elections and discuss zoning of offices. Our recommendations on zoning and other issues will be submitted to the party’s NEC for approval.”
When contacted, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, confirmed that the party’s NWC was meeting this week but said he was not sure of the Wednesday date.
Mohammed said, “Yes, we are holding our NWC meeting sometime this week. I can’t say Wednesday but we are meeting this week.”
He also declined to discuss the agenda of the meeting.
It was, however, gathered that the NWC would receive a briefing from the Directorate of Legal Services of its campaign on areas where it could pursue legal redress and where the party would be required to prepare a defence.
A leading member of the party, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said the APC was ready to receive the list of nominees of the president-elect’s transition committee.
He said, “What I can tell you is that the party is ready to receive the list from our president-elect. Consultations are still ongoing but I am sure, just like the president-elect himself said, the membership of the team will be trim.
“Technocrats with an understanding of civil service rules procedures especially as it relates to financial transactions will play a prominent role.
“It is true that the president-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, said that our party will not engage in a witch-hunt as it takes over the mantle of leadership, we have a moral burden to let Nigerians know what we are meeting on ground. This, to my mind, is the only way we can manage public expectations.”
Buhari had in an interview in Daura on Sunday told reporters that his team would consist mainly of experienced, patriotic technocrats.
“This is pure fiction and blackmail. No such meeting or conversation ever took place. Whoever wrote the copy obviously has never heard of being magnanimous in victory. A charlatan certainly,” the presidential spokesman said.
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