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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
For many practical observers, events of last week have apparently exposed the weakness, fragile peace and precarious situation of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of its proposed March 26 national convention and the 2023 general elections.
The hitherto worsening leadership crises, which culminated into a disturbing dangerous level, last week, came like a thunderstorm clinically planned against the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
The palace coup came through police occupation of the party’s national secretariat. It was, to many political watchers, a penetrative backstab. In fact, the situation resulted in the ruling party suddenly assuming the status of a house of commotion with activities almost completely falling apart and the centre struggling to hold.
Although the acting chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello was not categorical on the status of erstwhile party chairman, Mala Buni in the party, the unfolding events practically established that the fierce struggle to control the structure of the party may still be at an embryonic stage.
Attacks had come from the governors of Kaduna and Ondo States, Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Akeredolu respectively. They were very hard on embattled Governor Buni, foreclosing every possibility of his reclaiming his seat as chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the party.
Prominent among the allegations against Governor Buni were the attempts to deliberately derail the progress of the party with his reluctance to activate concrete processes to fast-track the planned party’s March 26 national convention.
They equally accused the Governor Buni-led CECPC of deliberately concealing a court order obtained in November last year, to use it as the last weapon to scuttle the national convention.
Other processes the Buni-led Caretaker Committee planted as a land-mine to sabotage the conduct of the convention, according to critics, include the introduction of compulsory conduct of zonal congresses, a novel tactic many saw as a weapon against the party’s convention.
However, in what appeared as an attempt to throw the baby with the bathwater, the Governor Sani Bello-led CECPC, almost bungled the process by wrongly opening up a correspondence with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), requesting the latter’s approval to hold a National Executive Committee (NEC) emergency virtual meeting on March 17.
Apart from failing in the requirements, the request for the emergency NEC meeting, in the perception of Buni’s camp, was a poisoned chalice, to nail the coffin of both Buni and the CECPC Secretary, Sen John James Akpanudoedehe, and get them out of the way.
“What is the reason for the NEC fixed on March 17 when the convention is on March 26? CECPC member, loyal to Buni, asked, adding: “there is no reason other than to do a hatchet job to remove both Governor Buni and the secretary, Akpanudoedehe. How can they harbour such evil intentions and plan to remove them and still expect them to sign their death sentence by signing the letter to the INEC?
“For those still in doubt, the Governor Bello camp has proved their true intentions to sack the duo during the needless NEC meeting with the behaviour they are putting up against them since last week. Their actions and inactions were more worrisome because the leadership of Buni has even met the 21-day stipulated notice requirement to INEC for the convention.
“APC is valid for the convention and nothing can stop it. However, the unanswered question still remains: what do they need the NEC meeting for other than for mischievous intentions to sack Governor Buni and Akpanudoedehe?” the CECPC member told Sunday Sun.
Interestingly, INEC did not only reject the request based on signature discrepancies but also insisted that it is not in tandem with; “the stipulations of the provisions of Article 1.1.3 of the Commission’s regulations and guidelines for political parties operations 2018 and the provisions of Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act of 2022.”
Explaining the circumstances surrounding the disapproval for the NEC, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, had noted that; “on March 8, 2022, the Commission received a letter from the APC titled; ‘Invitation to emergency virtual meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC)’, slated to hold on Thursday, March 17, 2022.
“The Commission was informed that the meeting is to review the party’s position and set agenda for the party’s next move. The letter said that it is for the Commission’s information, invitation, and necessary action. The notice was signed by nine members of the Caretaker Committee.
“On March 9, 2022, the Commission responded by drawing the attention of the party to the fact that the notice for the meeting was not signed by the Chairman and the Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee, contrary to the provisions of Article 1.1.3 of the Commission’s regulations and guidelines for political parties operations 2018.
“We also reminded the party that by the provisions of Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act of 2022, it requires the party to give the Commission at least 21-day notice of any Convention, Congress, Conference, or meeting, convened for the purpose of merger and electing members of its Elective Committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any elective offices.
“The Commission further said that the party should note these issues for purposes of non-compliance. Our position is clear and backed up by our own regulations and the Electoral Act of 2022,” he warned.
The rejection of the request letter, which apparently contributed to the heightened tension, however, redirected and calmed the raging storm, forcing the Governor Bello-led CECPC to backtrack by confirming that Governor Buni is still in charge while he is just in acting capacity.
Miffed by the quagmire and precarious situation facing the party, former Director-General, APC Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Moh Lukman, had lampoon embattled Governor Buni, ‘his surrogate supporters and associated timid leaders’, accusing them of plotting an orchestrated move to scuttle the party’s convention.
“All APC leaders and members must rise to the challenge of bringing Mala Buni to account for the bad name they are giving the APC today. He and Senator Akpanuduedehe should explain why they failed to initiate implementation of decisions to hold the APC national convention.
“Related to this, they should explain why they failed to bring to the notice of leaders of the party the Court injunction served on the party since November 18, 2021, restraining the party from organising the national convention.
“There are known collaborators of Mai Mala who have colluded with him to ensure that all attempts to organise the APC national convention are blocked. Three governors who are known and must also be called upon to account for their roles in undermining decisions to organise the APC convention are Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.
“There are other party leaders that actively supported Mai Mala to undermine the decision to organise the convention of the party. The March 17, 2022 APC NEC should initiate processes of disciplinary hearing in line with provisions of the APC Constitution to sanction all these leaders if found guilty,” he suggested.
The persistent anxiety and confusion that pervaded the party Secretariat as at Friday last week, gave an indication that there may not be light at the end of the tunnel over the precarious situation facing the party in organising the convention.
Speaking during a press conference in Abuja, Ismaeel Ahmed, Caretaker Committee member representing the Youth, surprisingly assured that Governor Buni’s position, as the chairman of the CECPC, is incontrovertible.
According to him; “somebody asks, what is the position of Governor Buni in the party? I think it is pretty simple. I don’t know why this is a complicated process for a lot of people to understand. Since the inception of this CECPC on June 25, 2020, whenever the chairman is not around and Governor Sani Bello is around, he acts on behalf of the Chairman.
“It has always been the case that has never changed. It has always been the case. Now, we have a convention on March 26. The chairman wrote a letter and transmitted power to Governor Bello to enable him to go for medical treatment. Those are two emergencies. He has a medical emergency that cannot wait for the convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy.
“So, one has to leave for the other, whichever, he has transmitted a letter and Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. So, why is it difficult for people to understand that? Why, why is it so difficult for people to simply understand? I cannot understand why people are making this allegation.
“So, Governor Bello is acting with the full authority of the Caretaker Committee, with the full authority of the stakeholders and with the full consent of Governor Mai Mala Buni. It is very clear and simple. If anybody has issues with any of our decisions they can head to court. For now, we are doing it with the full backing of the law. So, there is no ambiguity on this, absolutely none,” he thundered, assuring that the March 26 date still remains sacred.
With the recant from the Bello’s camp that Buni is still in charge, one leg of the challenges confronting the convention seems to have been sorted out and ostensibly put both camps on the pedestal. To remove any other iota of doubt to the possibility of not holding the convention, a source in Governor Buni’s camp told Daily Sun that the March 26 date is still sacrosanct, regardless of the myriads of litigations and the failure of the correspondence between INEC and the current party’s leadership.
“We have over 200 cases but why are they particular about the court case they claimed Buni wants to use to scuttle the convention. They are counting the achievements of Governor Sani Bello-led CECPC, commending him for swearing in the State Chairmen, but they forgot that Buni issued a certificate of return to them. They want to play to the gallery by accusing Buni of not releasing the convention sub-committees list.
“Again, there is no iota of truth in the speculation that Governor Buni was not serious about printing the nomination forms and I challenge you to ask and inquire at the secretariat about the stage of printing the forms. It is false to claim that Buni never commenced the process of printing the forms. We don’t have any iota of doubt whether the convention will go on as planned,” the Buni faction assured.
Regardless of what becomes of the outcome of the situation this week, especially the planned mobilisation of millions of loyalists to welcome Governor Buni back to the party on Monday, the decider will be the meeting certain major stakeholders are holding with President Buhari in London.
A source told Daily Sun that the battle is not yet over, explaining: “should Buni reclaim his position as the chairman of CECPC, what will be the kind of relationship he will have with other members of the CECPC, he felt betrayed him.
“Again, and more importantly, how would his colleague governors like El-Rufai, Akeredolu and others believed to have sold the dummy to President Buhari, which resulted in the mistrust, relate with him at the PGF level.
“If you ask me, I will say that they may be on the same pedestal in agreeing on the convention date, but feathers have been ruffled. What happens to the convention sub-committees Governor Bello’s faction trimmed by removing Buni’s men? For me, the last may not have been heard concerning this crisis.
“What I think they should do is to commence the process of vacating the court order allegedly procured in November last year stopping the convention. Good enough that they have started printing the nomination forms and we will have to wait to see them commence sale of forms this week as they indicated in the timetable and schedule of activities for the convention they released last month.
“The controversy surrounding the failed correspondence with INEC will have no bearing with the convention. APC can go ahead with the convention without holding the NEC meeting. But if they go ahead with the NEC meeting with the mischievous intention to oust Buni and Akpanudoedehe, such moves will complicate the situation of the party and constitute a serious threat to the possibility of holding the convention,” the APC chieftain argued
However, bringing a message of hope, a party chieftain, and member of the outgoing Non-NWC National Executive Committee (NEC), Alhaji Nasiru Danu, assured stakeholders that the party is still united and intact despite the rumblings, which he said are part of politics.
“What is happening in the party is just a phase. It is okay. We are intact and we will come out of it no matter the issue we have” he assured, adding: “you know we are approaching the convention and our mindset now is about the convention. They have just set up the committees and our job is to support them to achieve their goal of holding a successful convention.
“I am very sure it will not snowball. As I said, what you have is for the NWC of the party to settle and hold the convention in the next couple of weeks and then bring a fresh NWC and NEC. The situation in the party is nothing extraordinary, it is part of politics,” Danu said.
