Malam Garba Shehu, the spokesperson for former President Muhammadu Buhari, has explained why the ex-president was absent from the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The President spoke in Abuja at the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Executive Committee meeting, during which he received a vote of confidence for his administration’s good performance.
The meeting, which was presided over by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had in attendance top APC figures, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, governors, members of the National Working Committee (NWC), and other key stakeholders.
However, notable figures such as Buhari, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi were absent.
Speaking to BBC Hausa, Tinubu’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, stated that Buhari’s absence was due to a late invitation.
“President Muhammadu Buhari is not a caucus member of the party. He was supposed to attend the NEC meeting, but unfortunately, the invitation was sent to him on Monday and only reached him on Tuesday. Because of this, he could not leave Daura for Abuja, even if he owned a private jet,” Shehu explained.
“Buhari is a founding member of the APC. He was nominated by the party for president twice. He is a member of the APC even though he did not attend the meeting.”
Tinubu at the parley expressed his determination to work harder for the country’s greater good, assuring that the Nigerian economy was on the path of recovery.
He said the commendation from the party’s highest decision-making organ was a call for more hard work. He promised not to fail the party faithful.
“I am happy with your vote of confidence, and I accept it. The vote is a challenge to do more work; we will vigorously pursue our sovereignty in food security, investment and development.
“I am happy with food prices coming down, especially as Ramadan approaches. The Sun is high, and the sky is bright outside. While the rest of the world unravels, we see growth in Nigeria. We are seeing a gradual return to stability. We are seeing improvements. I thank you, governors,” President Tinubu said.
He pledged to continue working assiduously with other arms of government to ensure the greater good for Nigerians and commended APC governors and executives for their continued and unwavering commitment.
“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.
“The National Working Committee is doing a very good job; I am pleased with them. However, there are a few conflicts in the various states. Let’s set up committees to look into the lingering problems in the states and appeal to these party leaders in various states to please be calm and be collaborative.”
The party’s National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, thanked members 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.
