The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has responded to concerns regarding the absence of key party leaders at the recently concluded national caucus and National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings.
Naijaonpoint reports that Morka clarified that full attendance is never expected at such gatherings, emphasizing that every member of both the caucus and NEC had been properly 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 stated while addressing journalists.
He also explained that the timing of NEC meetings is largely determined by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s schedule, given his demanding 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.
Morka Responds to El-Rufai
Addressing recent comments made by former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, Morka advised him to uphold the dignity of his past positions and cautioned against making public grievances that might provoke responses from other party members.
He dismissed el-Rufai’s assertions that the APC’s internal structures were dysfunctional, affirming that all party organs 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 stated.
He urged el-Rufai to ensure that his public statements reflect the stature of a respected political leader.
The APC spokesman said: “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 reiterated that while el-Rufai remains a significant figure in the APC, he is only one individual within the broader party structure.
He said: “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.”