APC to replace BoT with Elders Forum

ByJerrywright Ukwu

A report by Leadership indicates that frantic moves and high-powered scheming have commenced in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

This is coming ahead of the party’s forthcoming national convention billed for April.

According to the report, there are moves within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to whittle down the influence of its Board of Trustees (BoT).

The latest plan reportedly being hatched is to totally scrap the BoT and replace it with a leaner and more amenable body that would function in that capacity without enormous powers.

The BoT which serves as the eye and conscience of the party is to be replaced with a body under a suggested name of ‘Elders Forum.’

An unnamed senior party official quoted in the report said the principal reason why the party leadership is averse to a powerful BoT is to avoid what played out in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) where its BoT almost hijacked the party machinery from the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC).

The source further said that the convention will now provide the avenue for the amendment of the relevant constitutional provisions that empower the BoT with a view to stave off any untoward clash of interest and powers among the NEC, the NWC and the BoT.

Reacting to the issue, the national vice chairman (South) of the APC, Ntufam Hilliard Eta said that all political parties are dynamic and therefore, their workings must not necessarily be viewed via the same prism.

His words: “It should be clearly known that political parties are dynamic and are not operating with the same modus operandi.

“In the thinking of the NEC, it was necessary to prune down its (BoT) size and have a leaner, more vibrant group which is open to all who genuinely strive to become members and not necessarily former political office holders as prescribed by the constitution currently in use.”

“Furthermore, the last ruling political party had BoT as its nomenclature and that doesn’t mean we should adopt the same nomenclature.”

Meanwhile, former APC spokesman, Comrade Timi Frank has alleged that the APC national chairman, Chief John Oyegun is planning to push out some prominent members of the party who have spoken against his leadership style.

·         Source: Naij.com