No Law Bars President Buhari From Holding APC NEC Meeting At Villa – Presidency

The Presidency has reacted to the widespread criticism of the President, Muhammadu Buhari holding the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday June 25.

The President was strongly criticised by many, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), for conducting his party activities at the Council Chambers.

Spokesperson of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday, described the action of the President “in using public facilities and resources for APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, as the height of corruption as well as a desecration of the sanctity of the seat of power and our national values”, MERIDIAN SPY reports.

“This shameful development is a further manifestation of the level of impunity, recklessness, disrespect for rules and disdain for our laws by the APC administration, whose latest action exposes a move towards instituting the art of running processes and programmes through illegality, illicitness, illegitimate and unlawful means driven by crude force and naked power,” Ologbondiyan added.

SERAP on its part condemned the use of the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja for political party operations, stating that the action is “analogous to using public money/property to fund or support political party operations”.

But reacting, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu said there is no provision in Nigeria’s constitution that bars the President from holding meetings in certain sections of the vast Presidential Villa.

“It is necessary that we put records in their correct perspective concerning the recent meeting held by the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, which has, unfortunately drawn criticism due to lack of understanding,” said Shehu.

“The stubborn opinion held by the critics of the administration is that President Muhammadu Buhari had called a political meeting in the “hallowed” chamber of the Federal Executive Council, as if there is a law that says the President is barred from holding meetings in certain sections of the vast Presidential Villa.

“Since the President lives in the Villa, no one can, legally speaking, choose or dictate to him where he can sit to hold meetings. So, what is wrong in the President presenting himself before a camera and a TV screen in a digital conference at a given location within the Villa?”

The President’s media aide stressed that the NEC meeting was not actually held physically at the Council Chamber but virtual, adding that even though Governors and leaders of the National Assembly joined the President from the Chamber from where he spoke, the larger body of the members in attendance were all connected via video calls.

He said the reason President Buhari chose the Council Chamber was because the APC conference Hall was small, hence social distance would be breaches.

“Just for the sake of the argument, this meeting, we say emphatically, was not convened at the Council Chamber. It was virtual, not a physical meeting,” he said.

“Why was it a virtual meeting? The idea was to observe social distancing in view of health concerns. Knowing how small the conference hall of the party is, social distancing would only have been observed in the breach.

“President Buhari was billed to address the meeting from his office (just any of his offices) and chose the Council Chamber where the digital facilities are located, and other members, including the bulk of National Executive Committee members, state party leaders and members of the National Assembly were all linked using video conference calls. You saw them all on TV.

“Yes, it is true that Governors and leaders of the National Assembly joined the President from the Chamber from where he spoke. But the larger body of the members in attendance were all connected via video calls.

“Do not forget that these are not the normal times in view of the COVID-19 circumstances in which we have found ourselves. President Buhari placed health and safety above courtesy to the party by not going to its headquarters.

“In the end, a wise thing had been done because the President wants to curtail the spread of the Coronavirus disease.”