The continued crisis within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has reportedly forced President Muhammadu Buhari to approve the removal of the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, as the Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party and in his stead, appointed his Niger State counterpart, Abubakar Sani Bello.
THISDAY reports that a faction of the APC governors was alleged to have complained bitterly to the president that Buni was not inclined to holding the convention as rescheduled, because there were no preparations on the ground to indicate so.
Apparently miffed by the what he was told, the president was said to have immediately directed that Buni be removed and replaced.
Buni is currently in Dubai for medical reasons and was not around to defend himself. But the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha and another top Villa player, were said to have intervened on behalf of Buni, when they got wind of the development, and advised the president to exercise caution against such action.
They were said to have reminded Buhari it was only the NEC of the Party that could convene and remove Buni, and after he must have been given seven days notice of removal. They, however, contended that anything outside the laid down processes, could be challenged in court, with the potential of disrupting the rescheduled March 26 Convention date.
It was not certain, however, whether the intervention changed the President’s mind. But some insiders, who spoke to THISDAY on the development this morning, expressed displeasure that some governors went to ambush the president just before he left the country without their knowledge and created a totally false narrative that Buni did not want to hold the convention.
“They are creating unnecessary crisis in the party, because of their selfish interests. How can they claim there are no preparations to hold the convention, when various convention sub-committees have been announced; the zonal committee is announcing the zoning formula on Monday (today).
“Committees will be inaugurated in a few days. These people are not sincere. Some governors have been scheming to take over the functions of CECPC to further their own interests.
The immediate way out of this is; if Buni voluntarily resigns, which he had two weeks ago threatened to during the APC governors meeting in Abuja,” they claimed.
These, nonetheless, the president, yesterday, assured party members before departing the country for his two weeks medical trip, that he would do everything to ensure the convention holds as scheduled on March 26.
He also took time to clear the air of misgivings about the structure of his government, when he said, constitutionally, his deputy, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, was always in charge, whenever he was away.
This is as the APC zoning committee, headed by the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq, is expected to announce the zoning formula for the party’ National Working Committee (NWC) today ahead of the national convention.
Also, a former governor of Nasarawa State and frontline aspirant for the All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairmanship, Senator Tanko Al-Makura, has denied working against the president’s choice of consensus candidate, describing a report to that effect as mischievous and unkind.
However, on the alleged Buni’s removal, a source, who confirmed the development, said the president did not formerly hint at the news, when leaving the country, because as a process person, he wanted the decision to be tidied up without creating any more grievances, hence, the meeting to be held today at the National Secretariat of the party.
Reiterating that Buni was already gone and the decision long taken, the source held that the relieved caretaker chairman knew of the development hence his forced trip on health grounds, adding that the party needed to move on and desperately too.
To this end, Bello has summoned a Caretaker Committee meeting to take place at the national secretariat of the party by 10am today.
THISDAY further gathered that some APC governors including Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Dr. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti and Bello met at the Niger governor’s lodge yesterday in Asokoro, Abuja.
The meeting, it was learnt, was a continuation of the one held on Saturday in Abuja by the governors.
A source, who pleaded anonymity, told THISDAY that it appeared that the Secretary of the committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, had gotten wind of the plan and was already planning to shutdown the secretariat, however, against the instruction of the president.
“The resolution is that the members of the CECPC will meet at the party secretariat on Monday by 10a.m. The meeting will be chaired by the Niger State governor, because Buni is out of town. But the secretary is planning to shut down the secretariat tomorrow,” the source said.
Abdulrazaq-led Committee to Announce Zoning Formula Today
A member of the APC zoning committee, who pleaded to remain anonymous, has said all was set for the committee, headed by the Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, to announce the outcome of its meeting today.
The source said that the committee concluded its work at the weekend, even as he denied knowledge of zoning the presidency to the South-west as reported in a national newspaper.
Providing an insight into the work that was done by the committee, the source revealed that they agreed to zone the National Chairman to the north-central; the Deputy National Chairman (north) to the north-east; the Secretary to the south-west and Deputy National Chairman (south) to the south-east.
“Our report is ready and would be announced tomorrow (Monday). Our scope of work was for party offices and the result would be announced tomorrow. All the various committees would be inaugurated Monday and they need the announcement by the zoning committee to kick off the process,” the source added.
Specifically responding to a question on a report that the committee had zoned the presidency ahead of the 2023 elections to the South-west, the source said, “there is nothing like that. What we are dealing with here are party offices.”
