Top leaders, governors and members of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the London consultations between President Muhammadu Buhari and some of his close allies on the leadership crisis rocking the party.
Apart from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), other key functionaries of the government in London, according to reports yesterday, were the Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu, the Minister of Aviation Senator Hadi Sirika and a close ally, Farouk Adamu Aliyu.
The Chairman of the CECPC and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, was also in London. He left the United Arab Emirates where he went for medical treatment last week for London on Thursday.
It was learnt that Buhari may soon break the ice in the APC by issuing a clear-cut directive.
Buni, sources said, is highly optimistic that he would return to office as Chairman of the CECPC upon his return to Nigeria latest Monday.
His confidence was said to be buoyed by the letter of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to APC CECPC warning against violating the laws and Electoral Act 2022. INEC said in the letter that it recognises Buni as the party’s chairman and that it must be given 21 -day notice for it to recognise a new leadership.
It was not clear last night what Buhari and his key allies have agreed as the way forward for the party. Nonetheless, party chiefs who spoke with THE NATION yesterday in Abuja said they would abide by whatever decision Buhari as the leader of the party comes up with.
A top source said: “As it stands now in APC, President Buhari holds the ace. Both Buni’s camp and the group backing Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, who on Monday announced himself as acting chairman of the CECPC on the directive of the Presdent, are awaiting the outcome of the London meeting.
“Whatever is the directive of the President, all leaders, governors and Caretaker Committee members will comply.
“I can tell you that there is anxiety in both camps because Buhari’s position will determine the way forward for the APC.”
A Buni loyalist said: “He has completed his medicals. He will return this weekend and resume duties as the National Chairman of APC.
“Governors loyal to Buni are busy coordinating a reception for him to prove that he is still the chairman of APC.”
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State broke the news of the purported removal of Buni on Wednesday, citing certain actions and inactions of the CECPC Chairman which he said constituted a hindrance to the March 26th convention.
One of such is a court injunction obtained by a party member to stop the convention until his grievances were addressed.
El-Rufai, who said Buni was aware and neither informed the party nor did anything on it, said efforts had commenced now to vacate the injunction which he described as “a weapon of mass destruction”, planned to use to scuttle the convention.
He said the fate of caretaker secretary James Akpanudoedehe had been decided after he refused to take instruction from acting Chairman Bello who took over on Monday.
El-Rufai, who spoke on a Channels Television programme, said he had the authority of Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu to explain the action that led to the appointment of Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello as acting chairman of APC.
He said 19 of the 23 governors elected on the ticket of the party were on same page on the mission to prevent the party from collapsing. He did not name the four governors that are not with them.
El-Rufai said: “We got a wind of a court process wherein an order had been gotten directing that the convention should not be held until the determination of the case. And it was unfortunate that our lawyer engaged by Buni-led committee agreed with this in court. If this remains, how can the convention be done?
“We got signals that there were some elements in the party that were bent on scuttling the proposed March 26 convention.
“And if we miss that date, the following Saturday will be Ramadan, and that means we would not be able to have convention until after Ramadan. That means we would have lost another month according to INEC’s timetable.
“Based on this, we met with the President to discuss a number of issues with him like zoning formulae, which the President signed off on.”
APC defies INEC, vows to go ahead with March 26 convention
Earlier yesterday, the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) vowed to press ahead with arrangements for its March 26 National Convention, brushing aside the demand for a 21-day notice of intention by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
But the party appeared to have soft-pedaled on the removal of Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni as CECPC Chairman with a party spokesman saying Buni remained in office.
However, INEC is not about to waive its insistence on the 21-day notice from the party.
The Nation gathered yesterday that the commission might boycott the APC convention unless the party complied with the provisions of the law.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took time out to mock the APC over the controversy generated by its convention.
It said INEC’s rejection of a new APC leadership was an indication that the ruling party lacked the legitimacy and statutory requisites to participate in next year’s elections.
Spokesperson for the CECPC and the APC National Youth Leader, Ismail Ahmed, told reporters yesterday in Abuja that INEC got it all wrong in demanding that the party should give a fresh 21-day notice for the March 26th national convention.
Ahmed, a lawyer, said the notice issued by the party originally fixing February 26 for the convention was sufficient to meet the relevant legal requirement and that what was now required for the new date of March 26 was simply a notice of an adjustment and not a fresh 21-day notice.
He said: ”Convention will hold on the 26th of March. I am not only a youth leader or internal spokesperson, I am also a lawyer. And we had served a notice to INEC for the 26th of February earlier. We served that notice on the 5th of February and that was the required 21 days.
“If you are going to make any adjustment to that date, all you need is a letter, making an adjustment to the date. You don’t need another 21 days. And that letter was written about two weeks ago when we realised that we couldn’t hold it on the 26th of February.
“The moment the CECPC agreed on the 26th of March, that letter was written to INEC, INEC has accepted that letter. So that is long gone; it is not an issue.
“The issue of the date of convention is not in question, not in INEC, not certainly with us. That is settled. It is sacrosanct: that 26th of March and we have complied with all the rules and we have notified INEC as appropriately expected of us to do. So that’s no longer an issue.”
On the status of the embattled chairman of the CECPC, Ahmed said Governor Buni remained the chairman of the party and that Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State has always been functioning in an acting capacity whenever the chairman is not available.
His words: “Since the inception of this CECPC on June 25, 2020, whenever the chairman is not around and Governor Sani Bello is around, he acts as chairman. It has always been the case that has never changed. It has always been the case.
“And now we have a convention on the 26th of March, the chairman wrote a letter and transmitted his power to go for medical treatment.
“These are two emergencies. He has a medical emergency that cannot wait for convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy, so one has to leave for other.
“The Chairman left, transmitted a letter, Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. What is the problem? Why is it difficult for people to simply understand that?
“I just simply don’t understand why people are making this an issue. So Governor Bello is acting with the full authority of the caretaker committee and with the full authority of the stakeholders, and leaders of the party, and with the full consent and knowledge of Governor Mai-Mala Buni.
“It’s very clear and very simple. If anybody has any issues with any of our decisions, you can take it to court. For now we’re doing it with the full authority and backing of the law. So there is no ambiguity in this. Absolutely none.”
Ahmed also spoke on the APC zonal congresses earlier scheduled for today across the six geopolitical zones.
He said the congresses would now take place simultaneously with the National Convention.
He described March 26 as sacrosanct for the party as arrangements are in top gear for the conduct of a hitch-free convention.
He said: “I was tasked with the responsibility for Media and Publicity; Prof. Tahir Mamman will be overseeing the Legal Department, Hon. Stella Okotete and Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf will be overseeing Organizing Department, and then Dr James Lalu and Chief David Lyon will oversee the Finance Department and former Senate President, Ken Nnamani and Senator Abba Ali will be overseeing the Policy, Strategy and Research Department.”
He was however silent on the role of Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, the committee’s National Secretary, in the convention preparations.
“We just talked about the members of the committee; we didn’t talk about either Secretary or Chairman. They have their responsibilities cut out for them anyway. The other members are the ones that were all told to come and handle specific departments.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission had snubbed a March 8, 2022 letter from Governor Bello inviting it to an emergency NEC meeting of the party.
It said: ”Please refer to your letter Ref.APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/022/32,dated 8th March 2022.
“The commission draws your attention to the fact that the notice for the meeting was not signed by the national chairman and national secretary of the CECPC.
“This is contrary to the provision of the Article 1.1.3 of the commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Party Operations (2018).
“Furthermore, the APC is reminded of the provision in Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires ‘at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference, or meeting convened for the purpose of ‘merger’.
“And electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any elective office.
“While hoping these issues are noted for compliance, please accept the assurance of the commission’s warm regards.”
INEC may boycott APC’s March 26 Convention
There were indications yesterday that INEC might not send its personnel to monitor the APC convention or even recognise the outcome of the convention unless it complies with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The commission wants a 21-day notice from the party as stipulated by the law.
It said in a letter to the party that it could not attend the emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of APC slated for next week because it did not comply with relevant laws and that the party could only remove the National Chairman of Caretaker /Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Governor Mai Mala Buni, and other officers after a 21-day notice to the Commission.
A Director in the Commission who didn’t want to be mentioned told The Nation that the INEC letter ”is very clear. They (APC) should give INEC a 21-day notice. Their legal officer should guide them properly.”
According to the source, the 2022 Electoral Act has strict guidelines for the 2023 general elections, which the Commission is determined to enforce.
INEC wrong to reject APC’s letter, says lawyer
A Niger Delta-based lawyer, Somina Johnbull, yesterday faulted INEC’s rejection of the APC invitation to its forthcoming NEC meeting on the grounds that it was not signed by the party’s National Chairman and Secretary.
He said: “With the greatest respect, INEC’s response is incorrect and was made without regard to the current state of the law.
“Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act requires political parties to notify INEC when it intends to hold any congress, convention, conference or meeting for the purpose of ‘merger’, electing members of the executive committees, other governing bodies of the political party and nomination of candidates.
“INEC is not to be notified of the meeting of a political party where the business is not for merger or election of members of the executive committee or nomination of party.
“INEC does not require to be notified of a meeting by a political party to discuss preparations for convention or congress as long as that meeting is not held to elect members of its executive committee.”
Johnbull insisted that INEC’s reference to its guidelines could not override the magisterial provisions of a statute, citing Jegede v INEC.
He said: “For whatsoever it is worth, what is the effect of the failure to even notify INEC or for INEC to be present?
“Section 82(5) of the Electoral Act provides that failure by a political party to notify INEC of its convention, congress or meeting cannot nullify the validity of such meeting, convention or congress.”
Grave danger ahead for APC
Another lawyer, Monday Onyekachi, warned that the APC could be courting trouble if it failed to give a 21-day notice to INEC before removing its CECPC chairman and other officers.
Onyekachi, a former Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, advised the ruling party to adhere to the provisions of the law and said: “Don’t they have what their law says about the removal of the chairman?
“Who removed him? Because there is an organ that removes a chairman of a party. Was it the organ that removed him? Was there any time the organ met and removed Buni?
“The implication is that they have to remove him properly. If they don’t remove him properly, INEC will still recognise Buni as chairman. There would be an implication if there is no proper removal.
“They cannot be behaving like lawless people now. I am not interested in who becomes what. I am only subservient to the law. What does the law say about the removal of a chairman and have they complied with it?. Don’t they have legal advisers?
Matawalle cautions APC governors over party crisis
Zamfara State Governor Bello Matawalle yesterday cautioned his fellow APC governors against unguarded statements over the party’s crisis.
Matawalle said this in a statement through Mr Zailani Bappa, his Special Adviser on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, in Gusau that it was not right for the governors to “wash our dirty linens in the media, especially at this critical time of the party’s transformation as we move towards a decisive period in 2023.”
He added: “I believe that each of us has been trying his best in his way to move the interest of our great party forward. However, we all disagree to agree. That is the beauty of democracy. There is no point in promoting disharmony among ourselves after disagreements are settled.
“It is not wise to drag the name of His Excellency, Mr President into taking sides on issues that are ordinarily a normal political misunderstanding common to every collection of interests.
“Now, more than ever before, the party needs the strength and unity to face the challenges ahead as we move towards the critical period of elections of which the party must maintain its supremacy at all levels.”
Matawalle expressed reservation over the statement issued by Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state in which he criticised some governors for their actions and said those who were not okay with the party should quit.
Sanction those colluding with Buni to scuttle convention – Lukman
The immediate-past Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Dr Salihu Lukman yesterday called for disciplinary action against APC governors he claimed were working with Buni to scuttle the March 26th national convention.
Lukman, in a statement entitled “APC and Surrogate Politics of Timid Leaders” named Buni’s collaborators as Governors Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.
“There are other party leaders, including Senator Uzor Kalu, who have actively supported His Excellency Mai Mala to undermine the decision to organise the National Convention of the party.
“The March 17, 2022 APC NEC should initiate processes of a disciplinary hearing in line with provisions of the APC Constitution to sanction all these leaders if found guilty,” he said.
The former PGF boss advised the party stakeholders to be constantly vigilant as the national convention draws nearer, warning that the “days leading to the March 26 national convention could sound the death knell for the party or give it an exhilarating breath of fresh air.
“Events in APC require constant vigilance by all committed party members and leaders. Without a doubt, the days ahead, leading to March 26, 2022 National Convention, will define both the survival, the democratic orientation and the quality of leaders of the party.
“Whether APC will produce both party leaders and candidates for the 2023 elections who can justify the trust reposed in them depends a lot on how all the current leadership challenges facing the party is resolved.”
PDP mocks as INEC rejects leadership change in APC
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday mocked the APC over INEC’s rejection of moves by the ruling party to drop its CECPC Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni.
The PDP described the rejection as an indication that the APC lacked the legitimacy and statutory requisites to participate in the 2023 general elections.
Spokesman for the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said: “This decision by INEC is therefore another unmistaken ‘red flag’ to intending aspirants on the platform of the APC in the 2023 general elections that the APC has become defunct and cannot validly, legally and constitutionally field candidates in the 2023 general elections.
“Our party draws attention to the grave import of INEC’s letter to the APC, dated March 9, 2022 to the effect that APC’s NEC meeting scheduled for Thursday March 17, 2022 will not be recognised by the Commission due to invalid notice; a development that will invalidate any decision reached at such meeting.
“Furthermore, INEC’s reference to the failure of the APC to give the required 21-day notice for its National Convention confirms the invalidity and unconstitutionality of any National Convention conducted by the APC’s illegal Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
“As it stands today, regardless of the boldface escapist excuses, the Sword of Damocles hangs precariously on the status of the contraption called CECPC and the APC itself. This signals an existential threat to the soulless, precipice-bound bunch of pretenders masquerading as a political party.
“The PDP had earlier informed Nigerians, especially intending aspirants on the platform of the APC that the APC became legally non-operational when in December 8, 2020 it dissolved its National, State as well as Local Government structures and handed its affairs over to an illegal body.”
APC Chairmanship: Northern group backs Al-Makura
More confusion may be brewing over the national chairmanship seat of the APC as the Northern Progressive Youths (ANPY) yesterday rejected the purported Presidential endorsement of any chairmanship candidate, insisting that Tanko Al-Makura must not be shut out of the contest.
The group’s Director, Gender and Governance Ms Amina Wakawa, addressing reporters in Abuja, said Al-Makura represented the right mix of accomplished leadership qualities that would not only add value to the APC but would also facilitate and sustain and build on the successes recorded by the party so far.
She explained that the northern youths decided to support Al-Makura because of his contribution during the historic merger of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
She said that Al-Makura was the only former governor elected on CPC’s platform, and who had contributed greatly to the successes of President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 general elections, which ended the 16 years of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leadership.
Wakawa said that the emergence of Al-Makura as APC national chairman would be a reward for loyalty, hard work and competence, and ensure justice, equity and fairness.
