From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
More confusions have continued to trail the proposed National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) rose from a marathon meeting on Monday, announcing March 26 as the new date for the conduct of the exercise.
Earlier on Monday morning, a letter written and signed by the duo of Chairman and Secretary of Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni and Sen 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, had hit the public domain.
In the correspondence notifying 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.”
Titled: “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 our great party, the All Progressives Congress has scheduled to hold its zonal congresses on Saturday, March 26, 2022.
“Kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly. While hoping to receive your cooperation, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem,” the notification letter read.
However, in what appeared as withdrawal of the correspondence with INEC, the Secretary, Akpanudoedehe, who spoke to newsmen after the meeting, announced that activities will commence on February 24 and culminate at the national convention on March 26.
According to him; “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 from February 24 and terminates on March 26 at Eagle Square with the National Convention.
“In between the convention, we have agreed to have zonal congresses, and all the activities is hereby given as approved by the CECPC,” he announced, 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 convention starts Monday, February 28, with the publication of convention sub-committees, the publication of zonal Committees will start Thursday, February 24.
Similarly, the sale of nomination forms for the convention starts Wednesday, March 9 to March 11, that of zonal congresses will hold between Monday, February 28 to Thursday, March 3.
The ruling party’s leadership announced that; “pursuant to Article 12.6 of the All Progressives Congress (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 Moh. Lukman, the development could be described as a mutiny by ‘yahoo-yahoo’ politicians.
In a statement he issued in Abuja on Monday, Lukman specifically accused the quartets Progressive Governors members, comprising Mala Buni, Yahaya Bello of Kogi, Hope Uzodinma of Imo and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun States of plans to destroy the party with their inordinate selfish ambition.
According to him; “Mai Mala Buni, in flagrant disregard to every known procedure of managing affairs of the party relate only with Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State based on the plot to retain Mai Mala 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 the CECPC Secretary, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, who is also aspiring to emerge as the Akwa-Ibom governorship candidate of the APC for 2023 elections.
“Interestingly, perhaps except for Governor Abiodun, three of them – Mai Mala Buni, Yahaya Bello and Hope Uzodinma – are all aspiring to become either presidential or vice-presidential candidates. Although Mala Buni is not open about his ambition, some of the speculation promoted by people very close to him is that once he is the one to organise the primary to produce candidates for the 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 Presidential candidate.
“In the case of Hope Uzodinma, he is being alleged to be aspiring to emerge as a Vice-Presidential candidate to a Northern candidate. Already, Yahaya Bello has declared his aspiration to emerge as the 2023 Presidential candidate of the party.
“As for Dapo 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 of the state, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun. Beyond guaranteeing Dapo Abiodun second term ticket, Mala Buni has attempted to make similar offers to all first term Governors of APC. Some of these stories flying around are almost like tales by moonlight, but from every indication, they are true scripts being acted by Mai Mala Bunu and his associates,” he quipped.
Reacting similarly, APC Rebirth Group had already petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to save the party and Nigeria’s democracy from the Governor Buni-led Caretaker Committee.
The statement signed by Engr. Aliyu Audu, for the group, read: “In the light of the latest disappointment which the Mai Mala 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.
“Gov 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 in order 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 Muhammadu Buhari to rescue the APC and our nascent democracy from Mai Mala Buni and his co-travellers hellbent on making nonsense of all 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,” the statement read.