Some Southwest delegates and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday warned the leadership of the party against the proposed constitutional amendment seeking to exclude former and the majority of serving members of the National Assembly from participating in the party’s National Convention.
The governing party is planning to hold its national convention in February 26, 2022 and there has been a report of a proposal in the party constitution to exclude former and non-principal officers of the National Assembly in the exercise.
The stakeholders made this known through a communique signed by Hon. Bosun Oladele, Senator Dayo Adeyeye and Senator Gbenga Kaka, at the end of the inaugural meeting held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The communique was read by Hon. Oladele.
Members of the caucus also agreed that any proposed amendment is like trying to alter the membership of the party’s national convention which is tantamount to changing the rules in the middle of the game.
The caucus also made it known that it is in support of the presidential ambition of Asiwaju Tinubu, adding that it will continue to advocate its support for this course.
According to the communique, “we shall continue to support every decision of the caretaker committee led by Governor Mai Mala Buni to hold the national convention on the 26th of February”.
They said: “We are opposed to any proposed amendment seeking to exclude former and serving members of the National Assembly of our party, APC, from the National Convention or any proposed amendment seeking to alter the membership of the party’s National Convention as presently composed as this is tantamount to changing the rules in the middle of the game because of primordial vested interests and such will not encourage popular participation in the National Convention and presidential primaries and will definitely rob the party of robust contest and emergence of candidates by popular choice.
“By all known convention and democratic tenets, former and serving National Assembly members are ranking party members and statesmen that play vital roles in party management and critical democratic process across all parties”.