The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on Wednesday, sought a bailout for the ruling party over N8.9bn election debts.
Ganduje revealed that the party’s accounts had been garnisheed following the huge debt resulting from the cases filed by the opposition parties to challenge the elections of President Bola Tinubu, APC governors and legislators.
The former Kano State governor disclosed this at the National Executive Committee meeting of the APC, held a day after the party held its national caucus meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
In attendance were President Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima; Senate President Goodwill Akpabio; Speaker, House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole and former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari.
Others were the National Chairman of the APC, Ganduje; former Governor of Kebbi and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, members of the National Working Committee; APC state chairmen, among others.
However, some notable bigwigs did not attend the NEC meeting, including the immediate-past President Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; the embattled former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai; former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi, erstwhile Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
Others were former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and former Speaker and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Briefing the party leadership about the state of the APC, Ganduje said the N8.9bn expenses were for pre-election legal battles, election cases and appeals for legislative, governorship, and presidential elections.
He, however, noted that the National Legal Adviser, Prof Abdul Kareem Kana (SAN), had been working to reduce the debt burden.
He said, “Your Excellencies, the current NWC inherited debts and legal liabilities to the total tune of N8,987,874,663 from all the cases outlined above, ranging from legal engagements during the pre-election matters, election cases and appeals for legislative, governorship and presidential elections.
“The details are also contained in the document report from the office of the National Legal Adviser in your folder. The National Legal Adviser has been making frantic efforts toward reducing the debt burden through dialogue and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
“However, we still passionately appeal to the National Executive Committee to intervene accordingly. It is important to note that some of our accounts are still garnisheed.”
The APC national chairman also begged Tinubu to help secure a parcel of land from the Federal Capital Territory Administration for the construction of a new secretariat.
The former Kano governor stated that the current structure is old and not befitting the status of a ruling party.
He said, “Your Excellencies, as part of our commitment to secure and own a national secretariat complex befitting of a ruling party and one that would conveniently accommodate our national officers, the newly established The Progressives Institute as well as the three wings of the party, we have formally applied for land at the Federal Capital Territory Administration that will drive this project.
“May I, therefore, appeal for the kind intervention of Mr President for this project to materialise?
“Let me once again applaud the Leader of our party, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for initiating laudable programmes that would subsequently ensure rapid inclusivity.”
Ganduje thanked the party faithful for their steadfastness in the face of challenges and assured them that the party would continue to deliver on its electoral promises.
“Though the journey has been very challenging for us as a ruling party, given the big task we have at hand and the expectations from Nigerians, we can sufficiently submit that we have collectively risen to the occasion and challenges,” he said.
He further briefed the NEC on efforts taken so far to appease and reconcile aggrieved members of the party.
“Your Excellencies, we have also embarked on massive reconciliation of aggrieved party members, and this move is gradually yielding desired positive results for the party.
“Through dialogue, we have initiated high-level discussions amongst party leaders and other stakeholders with a view to resolving lingering differences between our members,” he stated.
The NEC passed a vote of confidence on Tinubu in appreciation of his leadership.
When the motion for Tinubu’s endorsement was raised, it was immediately seconded by Oshiomhole.
The former governor hinged his conviction on the economic reforms introduced by the President, which he said had started yielding fruits.
He said, “I congratulate you, Mr President, the Vice President and even the leaders of the National Assembly because, without a collaborative legislative environment, reforms can be deformed.
“But under their leadership, reforms are truly ‘reforming’ everywhere. I thank you once again, Mr President and all the NEC members.”
The NEC also ratified the party leadership to the North-West to put an end to the agitation of anti-Ganduje critics and others who want the chairmanship to return to the North-Central.
Reacting, Tinubu applauded the NEC and the leadership of the party for keeping faith with his Renewed Hope Agenda.
The President also expressed gratitude to Nigerians and the APC National Working Committee for contributing massively to his electoral victory.
He said, “The place we are gathering today is too small for us and I agree with you that we need a bigger location. I think the minister of national economic planning is here. We will discuss it with the minister in charge, and we will do something about it.
“The National Working Committee is doing a good job and I am happy with them. In all the various states, let us set up reconciliatory committees to liaise with these aggrieved leaders. I am appealing to them, please be calm.
“Let the NEC find a way to celebrate our progressive ideals, and I promise you, our governors and Nigerians, that we will sustain these progressive changes. Everywhere in the world, especially in Europe, we have economic shocks, and we are doing everything possible.
Tinubu said he was keen to stabilise the APC by resolving the lingering crisis in the state chapters of the party.
Therefore, he asked the party’s NWC to create a team to address the fault lines, appealing for calm during the peace talks.
“I’m grateful to all Nigerians for the electoral successes recorded from one state to the other.
Governors, you have embraced these changes, and I thank the leadership of our party. I also thank members of the National Assembly for expeditiously considering the budget.
“We can only build the party on a progressive platform to deliver good service to Nigerians.
