The National Caucus of the governing party, All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday perfected moves to clear legal hurdles to pave way for the emergence of the immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje, as national chairman of the governing council.
Ganduje’s appointment as national chairman, LEADERSHIP gathered, will be ratified alongside that of spokesperson of the 9th Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru, as the national secretary today at the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting billed to hold today at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
It was learnt that at its meeting at the presidential last night, the national caucus of the governing party mandated the party’s leadership to work out modalities to clear all legal hurdles impeding the smooth takeover of the former governor as national chairman today.
According to sources who should know, the caucus chaired by the party’s leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said it is conscious of some legal and constitutional obstacles, which might serve as bottlenecks to the realisation of Ganduje’s leadership.
The caucus was directed to do away with such impediments that might lead to legal action against Ganduje’s leadership.
Findings by LEADERSHIP revealed that Ganduje is expected to assume leadership of the party during the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party today if the caucus eventually delivers on the assignment last night.
The notice of the national caucus meeting was issued pursuant to Article 12.5 of the APC constitution.
The NEC meeting is scheduled to hold today in pursuant of Article 25.2 (1) of the party’s constitution.
According to Article 12.5 of APC’s constitution, members of the caucus of ruling party include the national chairman; deputy national chairmen in charge of North and South; national secretary, national legal adviser, national treasurer; national organizing secretary; national woman leader, national youth leader and leader of persons with disabilities.
Others are past and present presidents and vice presidents, who are members of the party, past and present senate presidents as well as past and present Speakers of the House of Representatives.
One of the sources close to Ganduje told LEADERSHIP that the meeting was sequel to the discovery of some legal hurdles in the constitution of the party, which might serve as hindrance to the emergence of Ganduje as national chairman of the party.
This newspaper was informed that the caucus was mandated to work out strategies to remove those constitutional hurdles standing in the way of Ganduje ahead of the NEC meeting today.
One of our sources said some provisions in the constitution of APC made the emergence of Ganduje as national chairman an impossible mission.
None of our sources, however, disclosed the legal nuances against the former Kano helmsman.
Meanwhile, 37 chairmen of the party in the 36 states and federal capital territory yesterday met with Ganduje in Abuja.
The forum was also attended by the spokesperson of the 9th Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru, who is being proposed as the national secretary of the party.
The forum of the state chairmen formally recognised Ganduje as national chairman of the party ahead of his unveiling during the NEC meeting.
LEADERSHIP gathered that the chairmen seized the opportunity of the meeting to pledge their loyalty, support and cooperation to Ganduje in steering the ship of the party.
One of the sources in the NEC of the party, said, “We (APC) are conscious of some legal hurdles that can make it possible for the former governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, to emerge as the national chairman of our party. To this end, the national caucus of the party has been directed to clear those hurdles. The national caucus is meeting this night in Abuja to achieve that purpose.
“Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that Ganduje must become the next national chairman, everything has to be done to achieve the presidential directive. The presidential order must prevail. No one dares tell Mr. President that Ganduje’s national chairmanship is unachievable; it is a task that must be accomplished.
“The former governor himself (Ganduje) was reluctant to assume the position of the national chairman because he planned to become a minister but he cannot resist the pressures and presidential order. So, he has to succumb at the end of the day. Having agreed and accepted the offer, there are some legal hurdles against him in the constitution of our party that have to be removed.
“If those legal obstacles are still there, there is no way Governor Ganduje can become our national chairman. If he is imposed with those constitutional hindrances in place, his emergence will automatically attract legal actions. It will surely be challenged in courts. That is why the caucus was mandated to tackle that issue.
“We sincerely hope that the caucus members would be through and conclude the assignment as given to them last night to pave the way for a seamless and smooth emergence of the former governor as our national chairman during the NEC meeting today.
“But if the caucus could not finish the assignment before the NEC
