The Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of All Progressives Congress (APC) was set up by the National Executive Committee (NEC) on June 25, 2020, and given the mandate to organise the national convention within six months. Eighteen months after, it is still trying to perfect the plan. Correspondent JIDE ORINTUNSIN examines the issues surrounding the delay of the convention and why it is still not certain that it would hold in February as proposed
The waiting game has continued endlessly in the last 18 months. The convocation of the national convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by the Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) seems to be a mirage. Even when the party’s critical stakeholders in November last year scheduled it to hold in February, there are strong indications that the convention may not hold after all.
Since June 25, 2020, the Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC at the turn of every six months have had cause to shift the conduct of the convention. This has given rise to the growing concern that the February date may not be honoured. The antecedents of shifting the goal post every six months and the rumour that the national caretaker committee plans to elongation its tenure once again have fueled scepticism of another shift next month.
When the idea of a caretaker committee to manage the affairs of the party was muted, following an internal crisis within the fold, party faithful heaved a sigh of relief. Members and indeed political observers were hopeful and enthusiastic that the political antecedents of the interim chairman who is also the Yobe State governor would impact positively on the party within the six months’ time frame initially allotted to the committee. Buni served as the APC National Secretary prior to his emergence as governor between June 2014 and March 2019.
Though Buni never left anyone in doubt that the task ahead of him and the other 12 wise men were a tea party, he was optimistic that the task could be accomplished within the time allotted for it. The Yobe governor who enjoys the backing of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) was resolute that his committee would succeed in repackaging and repositioning the party as a leading political force within the six months’ time frame.
But, soon members of the caretaker committee came to the realization of the enormity of the task they inherited. For instance, Buni and the other committee members realized that conducting a generally acceptable national convention would require an authentic membership register. Hence they embarked on a membership revalidation and registration exercise to ascertain who belongs to the party. The Buni-led committee also set up another committee to review and amend the party’s constitution and National Reconciliation Committee (NRC).
Laudable as the plans of the Buni-led committee were, some elements within the party strongly believed that it was deviating from its primary assignment of conducting a national convention. Such sceptics say because it will now require more than the initial six months to carry out its primary assignment, Buni and his committee were up to a game of tenure elongation. One of the groups that subscribe to the above view, the Concerned APC Members (C-APC) kicked against virtually all the activities of the national caretaker committee, especially the membership revalidation and registration exercise. The group said the exercise was a ploy to deregister some perceived enemies and for tenure elongation by the Buni-led committee. To them, the conduct of the national convention was not on the agenda of the caretaker committee.
Four months into the lifespan of the Buni-led committee, the arrowhead of the C-APC, Dauda Abdullahi was emphatic in the group’s opposition to the registration exercise. He said: “The mandate given to the Buni committee was simple, reconcile aggrieved party members and hold a national convention to elect new national officers for our party. We are also aware that there is a grand plot to disenfranchise some members of the party that don’t agree with those who are planning to take over the party using this registration. If you recall that was the same system the former ruling party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) used to chase former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and others out of the party. Stretching its mandate to include the registration/revalidation of party members as part of a larger scheme by a group of the party’s governors to fully take over its structure and install officials to further their collective political ambitions.”
Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande was also opposed to the registration exercise.
Akande, who described the exercise as an aberration while reluctantly participating in the exercise sounded a note of caution. He said: “No population census is repeated within less than a decade and voters are not re-registered at every election. Within this context, I see the present APC membership registration within less than a decade after the original register as an indefensible aberration leading to certain ugly perceptions that the APC leadership might be wasteful and unappreciative of the proper use of money in a kind of scanty economy in which Nigeria now finds itself.
“These seeming ugly perceptions put into abeyance the applause of the two national election successes that the original APC register enjoyed since its completion on February 15, 2014, and the over N1bn of 2014 value that the original register cost when the APC had no money of its own.”
In line with its support for Buni’s agenda, the PGF, through its Director-General, Salihu Lukman rose stoutly in the defence of the CECPC’s registration exercise. He lampooned opposition to the exercise, insisting that it was a prerequisite for a crisis-free national convention. Lukman said: “One will expect any leader of the party with any claim of being a progressive or even democratic politician to welcome the need to have a membership revalidation and registration exercise ahead of the APC national convention.”
Despite the support of the governors for the registration exercise, political observers maintained that the project caused more pain than comfort for the party. After the six months timeline initially allotted for the assignment ended, the CECPC with the support of the PGF secured two consecutive tenure extensions of six months each from the National Executive Committee (NEC), without a mention of the national convention. Initially, political observers failed to fathom why the Buni-led committee will not be committed to conducting the convention as scheduled, but the game plan became clearer when all the other organs of the party at the national and state levels were dissolved and the NEC ceded her constitutional powers as enunciated in Articles 13.3 Subsection 5 and 13.3 Subsection 6 of the APC Constitution to the CECPC.
This development further heightened tension within the party. But, a deft political move by the Buni-led committee later helped to douse the tension. He converted all officers of the dissolved organs into a caretaker capacity, except members of the defunct NWC. Some states chairmen who were at loggerheads with their governors lost their powers in the process. For instance, the former Kwara chairman who is backed by the Minister of information, Lai Mohammed was dethroned by the leader of a faction loyal to Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazak.
Other affected states were Imo, Ogun, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Delta, Osun, Benue, Rivers and Lagos. The exercise was marred by one complaint or the other, thereby further widening the existing divide in some states between governors, ministers and other leaders. The exercise, rather than unite the party became a tool of destabilization.
Instead of putting up plans towards actualising its primary mandate of planning and conducting the convention, the Buni- led committee embarked on the review of the party’s constitution. Another move, the C-APC described as another sit-tight agenda contrived by the national caretaker committee.
With full power now residing with CECPC, the committee instead of conducting the convention would rather constitute a National Reconciliation Committee (NRC), led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu to go around the country to broker peace in state chapters that are embroiled in crisis. Justifying the setting up of the NRC, the caretaker committee secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe said the party will not want to go to the national convention as a divided house. But, this did not go down with some party stakeholders.
It is instructive to note that after over 18 months at the saddle, the Buni-led committee has grossly failed to find the much-needed reconciliatory cord to bring peace and harmony to the party, which is virtually crisis-ridden in all but a few states. With no clear cut timetable or schedule of activities that will give birth to the conduct of the national convention, many members of the party became more agitated and the army of opposition against the Buni-led committee keeps increasing by the day.
Irked by this development, President Muhammadu Buhari who is also the leader of the party directed the CECPC to come up with a timetable for the convention. The presidential order, which came through a television interview, political observers noted, jolted members of the committee from their sleep. Within a twinkle of an eye, the timetable was rolled out for the conduct of congresses at ward, local and state levels as a prelude to the national convention.
While, the caretaker committee seems to have kept its word by conducting the congresses in 33 states (except Anambra, Bayelsa and Zamfara), the crisis that ensued in no fewer than 24 states after the congresses called to question the sincerity of the midwife (CECPC) of the congresses. Even when petitions were raised, aggrieved members complained of not getting justice, as the caretaker committee was accused of bias in favour of governors, who took charge of the congresses in their respective states. This development became clear when at its 16th regular meeting, the CECPC ratified and approved the congresses while the petitions of aggrieved members were allegedly kept aside.
With the fallout of the congresses, the caretaker committee is now being accused of dragging its feet and coming up with a date for the national convention, over one and half years after it ought to have been held.
Pressure to pick a date:
Accused of using the fallout of the congresses as a plot to continue its stay in office, some youth went up in arms against the caretaker committee and demanded a definite date for the convention before the end of 2021. Irked by what they called a new plot by the Buni-led committee to extend their tenure, a group of young party members under the age Concerned APC Stakeholders led by a Senior Special Assistant to Senate President, Malam Abubakar Usman called on President Buhari, National Leader Asuwaju Bola Tinubu, the Senate president, the speaker of the House of Representatives and other leaders to rescue the party before it implodes and disintegrates.
Their wake-up call was to “rescue the party from going the way of the main opposition party, the PDP. Usman demanded among other things early publication of notification of national convention to dispel the widely held belief that the committee was not playing out a script for its continuous stay in office. He said: “We charge the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) with ensuring that the date of the national convention, guidelines, and other arrangements are made public before the state congress slated for October 16, 2021.”
Frustrated by the development in the party and the continued shift of lifespan of the caretaker committee, another youth group, the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM) took a more confrontational stance, by purportedly sacking the Buni-led committee and announcing February 26 as the date for the convention. Though rattled by the volume of attacks on the caretaker committee’s refusal to put a date on the national convention, Akpanudoedehe faulted the allegation, insisting that stakeholders such as President Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, governors and other critical party leaders and not Buni’s committee that will determine when the convention will hold.
Akpanudoedehe said: “The issue of convention, we have explained it over time, that it is not the caretaker committee. It is the stakeholders that will determine where we are going. What they are saying is not right. I don’t want to say these youths are ignorant of what they are saying because our youth should be better than being used by politicians.”
In an attempt to save face and remain relevant the leadership of the governor’s forum quickly sought an audience with President Buhari after a meeting of the forum in Abuja to sell a February date, a proposal that expressly got the nod of Mr President. But they equally failed to be specific on the date for the convention.
The inability of both the CECPC and the PGF leadership to be specific on a date further diminishes the integrity and public perception of the Buni-led caretaker committee before party members and the general public. Aliyu Audu of the APC Rebirth Group, a pressure group within the governing party was the first to fire the shot. In a statement, it said: “Apart from showing the seriousness it attaches to the approval by the president, the caretaker committee must not only announce a specific date for the convention, but it must also put all the necessary machinery for the conduct of the convention in place without further delay.
“It is our hope and believes that the caretaker committee will not employ any delay tactics that will result in the need to further postpone the national convention from the February 2022 date as it has done in the past where its six months mandate has extended to almost one and half year. The major, if not the only task before the caretaker committee as of today is the conduct of the national convention and this must be pursued with all vigour and seriousness it deserves.
“While we await the release of the full timetable for the national convention, the Concerned APC Stakeholders reiterate its earlier position that the upcoming national convention must not only be free, fair and transparent but must be seen to be so by all party men and women. The convention must be open, credible and devoid of any form of imposition in whatever guise. It is time the APC again subject the emergence of its leadership to the will and consent of the majority of party members rather than the backdoor consensus arrangements of any bloc or group.”
Hatchet job:
In a move described by political analysts as the “hatchet job”, the Chief Whip of the Senate and former Abia State governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu advised the committee to consider postponing the national convention. Kalu who gave the advice in a letter to the chairman of the CECPC, also appealed to the party to consider conducting the presidential primary and election of the National Working Committee (NWC) on the same day. Kalu in his letter titled “Urgent Appeal For Postponement of APC National Convention”, warned that holding the convention in February without sorting out the minor disagreements that arose during the congresses would lead to implosion.
He said: “It is important to first postpone the convention with all peace and reconciliation machinery fully put in place. The issue of zoning should be properly handled with even representation across the six geopolitical zones. In conclusion, I am suggesting a simultaneous event of having the presidential primary and election of the NWC members on the same day and venue to avoid rancour and litigations.”
Many political watchers who reacted to Kalu’s suggestion described it as the Biblical hand of Esau and the voice of Jacob, Many party faithful equally believe that Kalu was doing a hatchet job for the caretaker committee.
Lukman, the strong defender of the CECPC was the first to take Kalu to the cleaners. He said in a letter to President Buhari and some party leaders that the Buni-led committee should not listen to the former Abia State governor. He argued with Kalu’s suggestion, the lawmaker was asking for an extension of the tenure of the CECPC by another six months. This, he said, is another ploy not to hold the convention in February.
Linking the Buni-led committee to Kalu’s call, Lukman said: “It is very difficult to excuse the CECPC from the campaign to postpone the February convention. If the CECPC is not interested in the postponement of the convention from the agreed February date, why is it difficult to make a formal announcement about the date and venue of the convention?”
In what political watchers described as a face-saving move, the caretaker committee at the end of its 18th regular meeting on December 20, through its secretary announced a plan to set up sub-committees on budgeting and other relevant structures for the convention but failed again to announce the date for the convention.
Elated by the decision of the CECPC to set up sub-committees for the convention, Lukman at the media presentation of his new book titled, “APC and Campaign for New Nigeria” said the caretaker committee has confirmed that the convention is going to take place in February.”
But he appealed to the caretaker committee to remain proactive, insisting that “certain issues should not be allowed to become a subject of speculation”. He added: “Information about the date of the convention, I think, should be made public so that every party member knows when the convention is going to hold in February.”
Three weeks after Akpanudoedehe’s announced plans to set up sub-committees, the caretaker withdrew to its shell and the euphoria that greeted the announcement gradually turn to despondency as no concrete or visible action on the promised sub-committees were seen. This gave room for speculations and raised fears among party faithful that the February date may not be honoured by the caretaker committee.
The inaction of the caretaker committee to work the talk on the convention forced the Progressive Mandate Movement (PMM), a pressure and foundational group within the APC to warn the Buni-led CECPC to ensure that the party’s national convention does not fail to hold by February 5.
Its national coordinator, Abdullahi Mohammed and the secretary, Comrade Adekunle Fijabi demanded the immediate release of details of the convention or face the wrath of the group as it intends to launch operation #OccupyAPCNationalSecretariat for its leaders to do the right thing. The group said: “The delay in conducting the overdue APC national convention is already giving the PDP some advantages, making it look like nobody is in charge of the governing party. We, therefore, call on the Buni-led national caretaker committee not to go beyond February 5 to hold the party’s national convention.
Concerned by the dilly-dally of the Buni committee, Lukman in an open letter to APC leaders dated January 3 titled “Plausibility of February 2022 APC Convention” warned of the inherent dangers of postponing the convention again. He stressed that the survival of the party is at stake if the convention is shifted.
In less than 48 hours, in what analysts called total face-off, the DG of the PGD, Lukman was set at daggers drawn with the committee. The former ardent supporter of the activities of the CECPC threw caution to the wind in a letter dated January 5, to the chairman of the PGF, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and all the APC governors. In the letter, he accused both Buni and Akpanudoedehe of being responsible for uncertainties surrounding the conduct of the national convention.
For him, nothing must stop the convention from holding on February 5. He insisted that Buni and his team should resign if the convention fails to hold. He urged the governors to insist on the conduct of the convention as agreed upon.
In the letter titled “APC National Convention: Urgent Matters for the Survival of APC”, Lukman copied President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) chairman; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila; APC National Leader Bola Tinubu and former chairmen of the party.
He counselled that for the convention to hold as scheduled on February 5, the caretaker committee must notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its intention to hold the convention by January 15. He argued that failure to do so will automatically push the convention date forward. Lukman’s fear later came to pass, as the Buni-led CECPC did not only fail to notify INEC by Saturday, January 15, it has equally failed to put in place any semblance of activities or machinery for the convention to hold.
If Lukman was hard on the Buni-led caretaker committee, President Buhari penultimate Thursday night on national television warned the party of the danger of further delaying the event. Giving fatherly advice, Buhari said the party must work within the timeframe available, determine a substantive leadership, and chart its course ahead of the next general elections; otherwise, it risks being displaced by the opposition.
He said: “We have a time frame; we have to work around it because the four-year cycle is constitutional. It cannot be interfered with by anybody. So, if the party cannot agree, then the opposition will take over.”
The tension created by the delay in conducting the convention has generated in the last couple of weeks has taken its toll on the unity and bond among the governors of the party. A source within the elite club of the governors said the forum is divided into two, with the minority pushing for another postponement, possibly to a time in June while the majority who felt slighted by the CECPC for deliberately not honouring the February date, is poised for a showdown with the Buni-led committee.
From the body language of the CECPC, the February date may suffer the same fate: postponement. By Saturday, January 15, it failed to notify INEC of its intention to hold the convention on February 5, to meet the constitutional 21 days’ notice to the electoral body fears is that the exercise may not hold in February again.
Even when media reports at the weekend quoted a source close to the Buni-led caretaker committee, suggesting that the convention is now billed for February 25, the APC Rebirth Group picked holes on the date. To this group, the CECPC was enacting the same script of the game of deceit. For them, the new date was “another plot to deceive party members and buy time to further propagate selfish agenda”.
A statement on Sunday by the group’s coordinator, Aliyu Audu faulted the February 25 date. He said the new date is another ploy to deceive party members and buy time to further propagate its selfish agenda. Audu added: “The APC Rebirth has been reliably informed that the caretaker committee was behind various news reports planted in the media that the convention has been fixed for February 25. The CECPC, having realized that no less than six states will be going to the polls for various bye-elections on February 26, decided to plant a February 25 date in the media knowing fully well that the convention cannot be taking place at a time bye-elections in which the party would be participating will also be taking place across different states in the country.
“The real plot is to use the planted February 25 date to buy more time, pretending it does not know about the forthcoming bye-election; by which time it will be left with no option but to postpone the much-awaited February convention to another date. The CECPC will do this either by arranging a group of people to obtain a kangaroo court injunction hiding under the guise of exclusion by the bye-elections or simply ride on the excuse of limited time if any other date in February is to be chosen. In any case, the purported February 25 date, just like many other decisions that have been taken by the caretaker committee, was not a collective decision by members of the committee.”
For Isaac Nwanpa, an Abuja-based constitutional lawyer, the continued delay or shifting of the convention by the CECPC “is all politics”. He added: “Whether the CECPC likes it or not the convention must hold. This is a task and a reality that the Buni-led committee must come to accept. It is a matter of time. The convention must and will surely hold; when and where, only time will tell.”
