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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday rose from a marathon meeting, and announced March 26 as a new date for its national convention.
Earlier, yesterday, a letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary of Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni and John James Akpanudoedehe, respectively, had notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its arrangement to conduct zonal congresses on the same Saturday, March 26.
In the correspondence to INEC, with the code APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/21, the ruling party leadership had urged the electoral commission to; “kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly.”
Entitled: “Notice for the conduct of zonal congresses,” the letter read: “The notice supersedes our earlier notice for national convention referenced APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/14; this is predicated on the evaluation of our party constitution.
“In furtherance to Article 85 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and compliance with Section 12:6 of our party constitution, we hereby write to notify the commission that APC has scheduled to hold its zonal congresses on Saturday, March 26.
“Kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly. While hoping to receive your cooperation, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem.”
However, in what appeared as withdrawal of the correspondence to INEC, Akpanudoedehe, who spoke to newsmen after the meeting, announced that activities would commence on February 24 and climax with the national convention on March 26.
“After deliberation and agreement with the CECPC, we have agreed and approved that activities for the party’s national convention and agreed it will commence on February 24 and terminate on March 26, at the Eagle Square with the national convention.
“In between the convention, we have agreed to have zonal congresses, and all the activities are, hereby, given as approved by the CECPC,” he said, refusing to take any question for more clarifications.
The new timetable and schedule of activities for both the national convention and zonal congresses released after the meeting disclosed that while that of convention starts on Monday, February 28, with the publication of convention sub-committees, the publication of zonal committees will start on Thursday, February 24.
Similarly, sale of nomination forms for the convention starts from Wednesday, March 9 to March 11, that of zonal congresses will hold between Monday, February 28 and Thursday, March 3, 2022.
The ruling party’s leadership announced that; “pursuant to Article 12.6 of the APC constitution, the party, hereby, releases its timetable and schedule of activities for the zonal congresses across the six geopolitical zones.”
Expectedly, hostile reactions from stakeholders and chieftains of the party have continued to trail the resolution of the party’s national leadership.
For the former director general of the APC Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, the development could be described as mutiny by yahoo yahoo politicians.
In a statement in Abuja, yesterday, Lukman specifically accused the quartets progressive governors members, comprising Buni, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Hope Uzodimma of Imo and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun states of plans to destroy the party with their inordinate ambitions.
According to him, “Buni, in flagrant disregard to every known procedure of managing affairs of the party relate only with Bello, Uzodimma of and Abiodun based on the plot to retain Buni as chairman of the party up to the time of conducting the primary that will produce candidates for 2023 elections.
“The other person who is also active in this political ponzi scheme is Akpanudoedehe, who is also aspiring to emerge as the Akwa-Ibom governorship candidate of APC for 2023 elections.
“Interestingly, perhaps, except for Governor Abiodun, three of them – Buni, Bello and Uzodimma – are all aspiring to become either presidential or vice presidential candidate. Although, Buni is not open about his ambition, some of the speculations promoted by people very close to him are that once he is the one to organise the primary to produce candidates for 2023 elections, he stands a good chance to emerge as the vice presidential candidate, or even the presidential candidate, if the North is to produce the candidate.
“In the case of Uzodimma, he is being alleged to be aspiring to emerge as the vice presidential candidate to a northern candidate. Already, Bello has declared his aspiration to emerge as the 2023 presidential candidate of the party.
“As for Abiodun, he is being guaranteed a second term ticket to emerge as the Ogun State governorship candidate for 2023 election, which is to block any potential contest given the strong opposition he faces from the former governor Ibikunle Amosun.
“Beyond guaranteeing Abiodun a second term ticket, Buni has attempted to make similar offers to all first term APC governors. Some of these stories flying around are almost like tales by moonlight, but from every indication, they are true scripts being acted by Bunu and his associates,” he said.
In the same vein, APC Rebirth Group, has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to save the party and Nigeria’s democracy from the Governor Buni-led caretaker committee.
A statement by Aliyu Audu, for the group, read: “In the light of the latest disappointment which the Buni CECPC has again meted out to anxious party members who had eagerly looked forward to the February 26 date willingly and deliberately announced for the convention, it will be too much insult to all APC members to continue to tolerate this play on our collective sensibilities.
“Buni and his CECPC have shown unpardonable deceit, incompetence, disregard for the president, disrespect for the party constitution and blatant abuse of power and privileges. It is, therefore, time for the committee to be disbanded immediately to salvage the party and our hard earned democracy. If, for whatever reason, Buni and his CECPC are allowed to continue to run the party in accordance with the dictates of their personal interests and hidden agenda; then the APC would have betrayed the sacrifices all party members and other well meaning Nigerians have made to entrench progressive governance and democracy in the country.
“We plead with President Buhari to rescue the APC and our nascent democracy from Buni and his co-travellers who are hellbent on making nonsense of our sacrifices. Any further delay could spell doom not only for APC as a party, but for democracy and the country as a whole. A stitch in time saves nine,” Audu said in the statement.
