Buhari has been away longer than expected, says APC

Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the party acknowledges that President Muhammadu Buhari has been away from the country longer than envisaged.

Abdullahi said this on Thursday at the end of a meeting of the party’s national working committee (NWC) with some governors in Abuja.

He commended the president for transferring power to Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo before his departure.

Buhari has been on medical vacation in the UK since January 19.

The APC spokesman further said the party agreed to schedule its non-elective national convention for April 29.

“The national working committee (NWC) of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by the national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun on Thursday met with governors elected on the platform of the APC,” he said.

“The national chairman reviewed the state of the party, x-raying the challenges facing the APC in relations to funding and financing.

“It was agreed that the party is not effectively funded as it should be. A new funding mechanism was therefore devised based on a planned continuous membership registration exercise across the country. The meeting agreed that this is the only sustainable way to fund the party.

“The meeting also discussed the situations in some of the state chapters of the party, and it was agreed that an effective conflict resolution mechanism will be put in place to stem the tide of internal dissension and resolve existing issues.

“As we near the midterm, the meeting also resolved to launch a project to showcase the accomplishments of APC governors in all the 24 states controlled by the party.

“The upcoming non-elective convention was also discussed and it was agreed that the convention will take place on April 29.

“The meeting acknowledged that the president, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari has been away longer than was originally envisaged. The meeting however, commended the president for following the rule of law by allowing the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo to assume proper leadership and by so doing saved the country the kind of trauma that was experienced in the past.”