There has been palpable silence in the camps of most governorship aspirants in Imo State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC following the declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari that the extended tenure of the John Oyegun National Working Committee, NWC and party executives at all levels is illegal.
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Buhari had shocked APC faithful when he made the declaration at a National Executive Council meeting of the party held in Abuja on Wednesday.
In Imo State, this newspaper observed that most APC chieftains are studying the Presidents’ comments coming barely a month NEC had extended Oyegun’s tenure by a year. Most of them when contacted for comments kept mute prefering to speak to our reporters after a careful examination of the development.
None of the governorship aspirants have spoken on the matterr which indeed opens a state of uncertainty in the party in Imo State. There has been a fierce scramble for the soul of Imo APC between prominent governorship aspirants and Governor Rochas Okorocha.
Meanwhile, national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu had backed the President’s call.
He said in a statement”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,” he said.
Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha in a statement said the President has just scored a beautiful goal for democracy.
The extension of tenure of party executives had given an upper hand to many governorship aspirants in the State in the battle for the control of APC in Imo. After the extension, the party executives held its maiden Stakeholders meeting organized by the State Working Committee, SWC in Owerri where virtually all stakeholders in the party participated except Governor Rochas Okorocha who was outside the state.
With the President’s disposition, uncertainty now looms in the party in the State though a party leader who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity said the President only expressed his personal opinion.
“ The President is right in his call. ” he said