Former President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have excused themselves from the caucus meeting ahead of today’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party.
The event, which was chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, precedes the NEC meeting scheduled to hold at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
Though no reason has been offered for the absence of Buhari, Osinbajo pleaded that he be excused from attending the parley, held for the first time since the end of their eight-year tenure on May 29.
In a letter of apology addressed to the acting chairman, Abubakar Kyari, Osinbajo explained that he was already abroad for engagements to which he had long been committed when he received an invitation to the meeting.
While wishing the APC fruitful deliberations, he expressed fidelity to the party and his availability for future meetings and activities.
Nevertheless, the immediate past governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is billed to be unveiled as new chairman of the party during the NEC meeting.
Also to be unveiled at the parley, which will be attended by President Bola Tinubu, members of the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF and presiding officers of the National Assembly, is the new national secretary, Ajibola Basiru.
The duo, whose selection enjoys full support of the top echelon of the party, will replace Abdullahi Adamu and Iyiola Omisore, who resigned their positions recently.
It is, however, unclear if NEC would decide on the need to replace five other vacant seats in the NWC, whose occupants resigned, passed on or were among ministerial nominees of President Tinubu.
An official of the party, who pleaded anonymity, told The Guardian that the NEC meeting would dwell more on ratification of the appointment of Ganduje and Basiru as national chairman and secretary.
He hinted that issues about filling vacant seats are most likely going to be assigned to the NWC.
The source admitted that pending issues relating to running of the party, which was at the centre of disagreement between Adamu and former national vice chairman (North), Dr Salihu Lukman, might also be deliberated upon at the NEC meeting.
