President Muhammadu Buhari doesn’t have to chair every executive meeting, including the Federal; Executive Council presidents traditionally oversee in Nigeria, after all the constitution provides an alternative.
APC’s governors made this known Wednesday after their meeting with the party’s National Working Committee in Abuja.
Kaduna Gov. Nasir El Rufai spoke on behalf of his colleagues, adding that the constitution made provision for Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to preside over such meeting if Buhari is absence.
The opposition, especially PDP Gov. Ayo Fayose and some members of the Arewa Consultative Forum, have taken on the presidency on the whereabouts if the No 1 citizen seen in public three weeks ago.
Responding to rumours that President Buhari could not attend the FEC meeting for the third consecutive time because he was ill, El Rufai said the governors were not bothered by such speculations.
“But we, however, urge Nigerians to continue to pray for the president to be in good health.’’
He said it was normal for the president to have medical challenge, considering the fact that he is over 70 years.
“Even me that is 57 years old, I still go for medical check-up,’’ El-Rufai said.
He, however, debunked insinuations that APC had internal crisis, stressing that the party was intact with a unified leadership structure, adding that contrary to speculations, its NWC was intact.
He said the reason the party was presently constrained financially was because it did not rely on public funds to operate like some parties in government.
According to him, the party is funded by private and corporate donors who had been its sponsors before it came to power.
He further said the party`s leadership was willing to return to such donors to raise funds to ensure that it was operated as expected.
The governor said that the meeting discussed best incentives to reward loyal party members, in line with its constitution.
He added that the governors, at the meeting, pledged their loyalty to the party`s leadership and promised to meet with its NWC members monthly.