The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fixed 24 July for its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, to be held at its Abuja national secretariat.

Festus Faunter, the party’s deputy national secretary, disclosed this to journalists on Monday in Abuja after a closed-door meeting of its National Working Committee (NWC).

He said the meeting followed Abdullahi Ganduje’s resignation as APC national chairperson on Friday due to health reasons, a decision the NWC gratefully accepted and wished him well. “Whatever we do now, including the endorsement of the acting national chairman, must receive the blessing of the NEC.

“If during the NEC meeting, a new chairman is nominated, we will also accept that and wait for the convention to take a final position,” Mr Faunter said. He added that a notice for the NEC meeting had been forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He said the NWC discussed preparations for upcoming bye-elections in states with legislative vacancies due to death or resignation and mapped out early plans for ward, local government, and state congresses.

“Dates for these exercises will be made public in due course,” Mr Faunter added. He also said that as its highest decision-making organ, the party’s NEC was expected to deliberate on its next steps, including leadership succession, internal restructuring, and preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Ali Dalori has since assumed office as APC acting national chairman, promising to be transparent and inclusive and to steer the party’s activities with unity of purpose. Mr Dalori, who was the APC deputy national chairperson (North-east), before his appointment, made the promise at a meeting with the party’s NWC.

President Bola Tinubu had directed Mr Dalori to oversee the affairs of the APC following last Friday’s resignation of Mr Ganduje.

“In accordance with the Constitution of our party and the directive of President Tinubu, I have assumed the position of acting national chairman following the resignation of Ganduje,” the acting chairperson said.

In his resignation letter submitted to the party’s NWC through its national secretary, Ajibola Basiru, Mr Ganduje said he needed time out to attend to his health and other personal issues.

The former two-term Kano State governor assumed leadership of the APC in August 2023.

(NAN)

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