The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Bashir has said that President Bola Tinubu committed no constitutional infractions by nominating 47 ministers.
The party’s scribe disclosed this Tuesday while briefing journalists after the 128 meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) held on Tuesday at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja.
He also noted that the decision of the party to appoint an external auditor to audit the party’s account was routine, insisting that it has nothing to do with the resignation of the former National chairman of the party, Senator Abdulahi Adamu and former National Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore.
Bashir stated: “On the issue of external auditors, it has been the routine of our party to appoint external auditors and it is a standard procedure and practice everywhere. It has nothing to do with the resignation of any officer of our party.
And if you go back, there has not been a year that the party account has not been audited by external auditors.”
On the issue of ministerial nominees, he said it was the prerogative of the executive.
Bashi added: “On the issue of ministerial nominees, opinion is free, heterogeneous in a democratic society. It should be made very clear by the constitution of Nigeria, every state is expected to have a ministerial nominee. At least for the first time, the President appointed a nominee from the FCT for which the FCT people were happy.
“So, you must have a minimum of 37 ministers by constitutional provisions. So adding an additional 10, I think it is prerogative of the executive. Section 5 of the Constitution is clear that the President is vested with executive powers, for which he may exercise directly, personally or through ministers that he has appointed.”
“And that essentially is with the prerogative of the President having regard to Section Five of the constitution of Nigeria and mind you Section 1(1)of the constitution of Nigeria says Nigeria shall be governed in accordance with the Constitution. So the President has not done anything that is outside the confines of the Constitution.”
Also, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, revealed that consultation is ongoing regarding the filling of vacant positions in the National Working Committee (NWC).
The vacant positions included: Deputy National Chairman (North), National Women Leader, National Welfare Officer, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, National Legal Adviser and National Vice Chairman, North-west.
While the Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Abubakar Kyari, National Women Leader, Betta Edu have been nominated as ministers by the President, the National Legal Adviser, Ahmed El-Marzuk, National Vice Chairman North-west, Dr. Salihu Lukman, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yakubu Ajaka resigned their positions for various reasons.
However, National Welfare Officer, Friday Nwosu died last year.
Morka stated: “Regarding the questions on the vacancies within the NWC as you can imagine, we just came off NEC few days ago, and consultations are ongoing at the moment. And I think that in due course, we will be considering the question of feeling the remainder of the vacant positions in the NWC. “