Former President Muhammadu Buhari; immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai; and former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi are missing from the ongoing National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) taking place in Abuja.
The leader of the party, President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shetimma, Senate President Goodwill Akpabio, and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas are in attendance.
The NEC meeting is held a day after the national caucus one took place at the Presidential Villa also in Abuja.
Some early arrivals at the venue include all National Working Committee (NWC) members; Forum of State Chairmen; former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu; and Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu.
APC governors of Edo, Benue, Ondo, Ekiti, Kaduna, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Yobe, Niger, Lagos, Kogi, Ogun, Imo, deputy governor of Ebonyi and former governors of Kogi, Kebbi, Niger, Zamfara, Plateau.
Apart from el-Rufai, both Buhari and Amaechi had not written to say why there were staying away from the meeting.
El-Rufai said he would not be joining President Tinubu and other party bigwigs at the APC national secretariat for Wednesday’s NEC session.
He disclosed this when he appeared as a guest on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday.
He said, “Unfortunately, I will not be. I will be on my way back to Cairo where I spend most of my time. I didn’t get adequate notice. The constitution of our party requires 21 days, I think, or 14 days’ notice for this kind of national organ meeting. I don’t think that notice has been given.
“If it has been, I have not received the invitation two weeks to three weeks ago. So I have my plans, and I’m leaving tomorrow. But many of my friends will attend, so I will not miss anything. I will get to know what was discussed.”
Buhari was elected twice – 2015 and 2019 elected on the platform of the APC where he served two terms of four years each from 2015 to 2013.
Amaechi served as Buhari’s Minister of Transport from 2015 to 2022.
