‘Respect Yourself’ — APC Tells El-Rufai At NEC Meeting

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has addressed concerns over the absence of some key party leaders at the just concluded national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings of the party.

According to Morka, full attendance is never expected at such gatherings.

Speaking at a press briefing on the outcomes of the meetings, Morka clarified that while some leaders were absent, every member of both the caucus and NEC had been duly invited.

“As far as I know, I have never known a caucus meeting of our party or NEC meeting of our party to be attended a hundred percent by all members. I am not sure there is any political party where you have 100 percent attendance for such meetings,” he said.

Morka also stressed that the timing of the NEC meetings is determined by the schedule of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, given his tight itinerary.

“Be rest assured that every member of the Caucus and NEC was invited. The list of members today was comprehensive. As a matter of fact, we enlarged the list for the meeting today. We had more members invited than we did previously,” he added.

Addressing recent comments made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, Morka advised the ex-governor to respect his status as a former minister and governor and warned that continued public engagement in grievances would invite responses from other party members.

He dismissed el-Rufai’s claims that the APC’s internal structures were dysfunctional and asserted that all organs of the party remain active and effective.

“All organs of the party are working. What the former governor of Kaduna State said—there is a difference between party men and people who speak because they have a grievance. Grievance-driven commentaries are not to be taken seriously. It was clear from all the comments that the former governor has an axe to grind,” Morka said.

He further cautioned el-Rufai against allowing personal dissatisfaction to influence his public statements, and stated that respected figures must act in a way that justifies their reputation.

“For today’s meeting, I was prepared to respond to the former governor and suggest to him that some of his recent engagements are unnecessary for someone who has occupied the positions he has in this country. Men who are respected must also continue to justify the respect they get. It is not a good idea that once you are dissatisfied—especially when it comes to personal experiences—you then want to visit your personal grievances with the system of a political party,” Morka added.

He reiterated that while el-Rufai is a respected figure within the APC, he remains only one individual within the party structure.

“El-Rufai is just one person. Yes, he is a former minister and former governor, he has been up there, but at the end of the day, he is just one person in the party scheme. He is a highly respected citizen, but my advice and counsel to him is that he needs to speak in a manner that is befitting of his status. Otherwise, if he continues to engage, people have a right to reply,” Morka added.