Mary Idele from Edo State now occupies the office of the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) previously held by Betta Edu.
By Jeffrey Agbo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday announced new occupants of vacant positions in the National Working Committee and zonal offices in the party.
APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, told journalists at the party’s national secretariat that the election of the new officers was in line with the mandate given to them by the National Executive Committee at the last meeting held at Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on August 3.
The move saw outgoing National Deputy Chairman for North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, being replaced by Borno party chairman, Ali Dalori, while founder of Sister-To-Sister Empowerment Worldwide, Mary Alile Idele, from Edo State now occupies the office of the National Women Leader previously held by Betta Edu.
Kyari and Edu have been appointed ministers by President Bola Tinubu.
Other elected officers included Garba Datti Muhammad, who replaced Salihu Lukman from the same Kaduna State as National Vice Chairman for North West; National Legal Adviser, Prof. AbdulKarim Abubakar Kana from Nasarawa State; National Welfare Secretary, Donatus Nwankpa from Abia State; Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko from Kogi State and Zonal Organising Secretary, Ikani Shuaibu Okolo from Kogi State.
He said, “Today, we are here to brief you on behalf of our party. We have had our NWC meeting and deliberated on issues, particularly as it relates to our off-season elections in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States. Work is at an advanced stage on the composition of the campaign council of the party. Hopefully by next week, the list of the campaign councils for those three governorship election will be unveiled.
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“We also discussed matters having to do with expanding membership of our party and putting our party in a lot of activities. More importantly, during the last NEC meeting, the NEC of the party empowered the NWC in consultation with the leadership of the party to fill the existing vacancies in the membership of the NWC occasioned by resignations and, unfortunately too, the death of the national welfare officer of the party.”
When asked to clarify if the unveiling of new officers were ratified by the NEC, Basiru claimed they were products of an election that was conducted in line with the NEC directive.
He also disclosed that the date and venue for their inauguration have not yet been finalised.
“This is not a case of ratification. Don’t make an assumption. It is an election already done. You see, this is the constitution of our party Article 13 gave NEC the power to act in between and the convention. The same NEC at the meeting of August 3 empowered the NWC to act and exercise its power to fill the vacancies. What we have done is in accordance with the delegation of power from the NEC to acts as a convention to elect these people. Of course, if we are thinking to have a mid-term convention, it is not for the purpose of the election of officials because this has been done in a way stipulated by our constitution.
“Of course, they will be inaugurated and sworn-in because there is a provision for swearing-in in the constitution. But the time and venue is what I don’t know yet.”