TheCable

Murtala Nyako, a former governor of Adamawa state and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the crisis in the ruling party might affect it in 2019.

He said the extension of tenure of the party’s national working committee (NWC) may lead to its downfall.

The party extended the tenure of the NWC led by John Oyegun by 12 months.

Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, had said the extension would take effect from June 30 and was necessary considering the time left for the party to conduct its congresses and conventions.

Speaking in Yola, Adamawa state capital, while addressing a group of APC supporters, on Saturday, Nyako described the tenure extension as undemocratic and unconstitutional.

He said the party currently lacks due process and that there is need to put it in order ahead of the 2019 general election.

Nyako said unless justice and rule of law is entrenched in the APC, the party risks being defeated in the 2019 elections as experienced by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.

On the tenure elongation of the party’s NWC, the former governor said: “Even if a mechanic takes APC to court today over the unconstitutional and undemocratic tenure extension of party officials, it is very clear that the court can lock the national secretariat of the party.

“If there is no convention in APC before the general election, the party may become a spectator instead of a participant.”

Timi Frank, former deputy national publicity secretary of the party, had criticised the tenure extension, saying it shows the APC is an “undemocratic party.”

The Lagos state chapter of the party had also rejected the tenure extension, saying it is against Nigeria’s constitution.