The governors plotting to remove the Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Mai Mala Buni, must have had a marathon sleepless night with the turn of events in the last 24 hours. It became apparent that their bid was heading for failure when President Muhammadu Buhari threw a spanner to the works insisting that Buni should be allowed to continue as the chairman of the party.
With full backing of Mr. President, Governor Buni and his team at the CECPC have begun a serious house cleaning exercise which may see the axing of some prominent members of the party from some committees. Also Buni has cancelled the meeting of the National Executive Committee, which had been called by the acting Chairman of the CECPC, Abubakar Bello. The meeting was to take place today (Thursday) at the party’s secretariat Abuja.
Some of the governors who are nursing the wounds from the Buni’s bounce back are Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, as they openly backed attempts to sack Buni, while a few others like Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, continued to defend the Yobe State governor.
It could be recalled that Governor El-Rufai gave a series of interviews where he claimed that President Buhari had sanctioned Buni’s removal and the appointment of Bello as the new chairman of the APC caretaker committee. The Kaduna State governor specifically claimed that Buni had colluded with some fifth columnists in the party to secure a court order to thwart the planned convention.
Akeredolu on the other hand took Buni and the CECPC to the cleaners calling the governors supporting him Yahoo-Yahoo governors and fraudsters.
Also, Bello had written the Independent National Electoral Commission informing it of the plan to hold a NEC meeting ostensibly to remove both Buni and Senator John Akpanudoedehe, who is the secretary of the CECPC. But INEC responded that Bello had no powers to write such a letter. The commission further stated that any meeting involving leadership change would require a 21-day notice.
This was the beginning of the confusion as some within the party whispered that this is the end of the conspiracy but Bello and his group insisted that a NEC meeting would be held today (Thursday) without revealing the agenda of the meeting.
In fighting back, Buni, who had been away on medical leave, flew into London to meet with President Buhari who is also on medical visit there to intimate the President of the true picture of the situation within the party. The President agreed with him but also insisted he do whatever is necessary to ensure the March 26 national convention holds.
The President followed it up with a letter addressed to the Chairman of Progressives Governors Forum Senator Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State warning that any attempt to change the current leadership could spell doom for the party. The President also copied the acting Chairman of the CECPC, Bello.
Buhari specifically warned that further controversies could lead to the APC being unable to participate in the 2023 elections.
The letter read in part, “It has come to my attention that because of recent events, the APC is faced with a multiplicity of court cases pending against it in various courts across the country. As a result of this, the party faces the possibility and prospect of the invalidation of all its activities and actions by INEC.
“Furthermore, the party has demonstrated its inability to proceed with the issue of effecting change in leadership of its CECPC in a way that is inclusive, legal and respectful of the time limit set and required for giving INEC sufficient notice of the time and venue for holding its convention.
“No doubt, these controversies and uncertainties as enumerated above pose a real threat to the party and may lead to a possible non-recognition of its activities, elections and the probable invalidation of all its other actions by INEC. This may ultimately even lead to its implosion and non-existence.”
Buhari said having failed to remove Buni and since INEC had made its position clear, the best thing to do was to maintain the status quo.
The letter added, “The issue of the leadership of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee should immediately return to the status quo ante.
“All members of the Governors’ Forum and their followers should desist from any behaviour or utterance that will likely lead to disunity in the ranks of the party, and ultimately jeopardise the transition to the convention.
“The Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee should accordingly be allowed to proceed with all necessary preparations to hold the convention as planned, unfailingly on March 26, 2022.”
Following the President’s letter, the Secretary to the CECPC, Akpanudoedehe, issued a statement announcing the outright cancellation of the NEC.
The statement titled, ‘Purported APC NEC meeting cancelled’, read in part, “As directed by the National Chairman of the APC CECPC and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, a purported emergency meeting of the party’s NEC slated for Thursday, March 26, 2022 is hereby cancelled.”
He also issued a press statement announcing the constitution of committees for the national convention and pledging full loyalty of the CECPC to the party and the president.