APC Finally Edges Out Buni, Akpanudoedehe; Reorganises Convention Sub-c’ttees

•How ex-CECPC chair bungled soft-landing option 

•Four major decisions Bello took in four days

•Party discovers secret court order obtained to stop convention 

•NEC meets next Thursday

Adedayo Akinwale

The All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, technically confirmed the sack of the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni and Senator James Akpanudoedehe as chairman and national secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) respectively, after excluding them from the central planning committee of the party.

With the new list of the convention committees, the names of Buni and Akpanudoedehe,were conspicuously missing as the ruling party continued its preparation for the March 26 national convention.

Although there had been plans to offer Buni and Akpanudoedehe a soft-landing, so that it would not seem as though the party embarrassed them, the fact that Buni was foot-dragging and Akpanudoedehe continued to live in self-denial, coupled with the fact that the party needed to move as fast as possible to catch up with the proposed date for its national convention, took the offer off the table.

From all indications, therefore, the acting Caretaker Chairman and Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, has taken over as the head of the Central Planning Committee, the main group meant to be headed by Buni if he was still in charge.

In the same stroke, the name of Akpanudoedehe did not feature in any of the committees, not even as the secretary of the central planning committee, an office he held till events took a different turn in the party this week.

This, nonetheless, many APC members were excited about the fact that the Bello leadership had taken four critical decisions in just four days, mainly the issues the Buni leadership made to appear impossible and by so doing, stalling the national convention of the party.

This is as the APC leadership has recently just discovered that there was a court order, obtained in cahoots with some members of the CECPC to prevent the convention from holding.

Reports also had it that the new leadership at the national headquarters of the party, actually ordered security agencies to prevent Akpanudoedehe from accessing the secretariat, since his services were no longer needed in any respect.

However, with the leadership change and the current turn of events, a former governor of Imo State, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has expressed confidence that the proposed March 26 date for the APC national convention was feasible.

From the re-organisation and pruning down of the convention sub-committees, yesterday, at the secretariat by Bello, the Governor  of Kastina State, Aminu Masari, would head the screening committee, while the President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan would chair the screening appeal  committee.

Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru, would head the election committee, while the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, heads the Election Appeal Committee.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, would head the legal committee, while David Umahi, will head the media committee, and to be assisted by the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, as co-chair, while the Governor  of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello will head the security committee.

Bello, while inaugurating convention sub-committees, said, “For those of you that have been monitoring events in the national secretariat since Monday, we have started the effort to ensure that there is free and fair convention.

“We have made efforts to see a successful convention and part of those efforts is to inaugurate chairmen and secretaries of the committees  in consideration of tract records and loyalty to the party,” he said.

Bello said he knew that a lot of party faithful wanted to serve in various committees as their support or contributions towards a healthy party, but added that everyone could not be accommodated in the committee.

His words: “So, we  trimmed down  the number to workable size without undermining everyone and I think this decision is the best for our party,” he said, explaining also that the Caretaker Committee members went through hell compiling the list, because everyone wanted to serve.

“If you didn’t see your name in the list, please don’t be offended. I’m sure other opportunities will come in future. I want to remind you that you have to work hard to ensure that the national convention will go on, on 26th of March 2022. That day is sacrosanct, insha Allah.”

He posited that, the task before the committees was to ensure the success of the convention.

Unfortunately, ahead of yesterday’s developments, the party had mulled the options of offering Buni and Akpanudoedehe a soft-landing such that what was going on in the party would not seem as if they were disgraced out of office, after engaging them to set the party on the path of progress.

THISDAY sources said since the idea was mooted and shared with Buni especially, he had acted as if the new development in the party was not going to stand, deliberately foot-dragging, and therefore forced other stakeholders to conclude that the party must move forward regardless.

The party source hinted that despite all the changes that were going on in the party, Buni still stayed back in Dubai, where he was alleged to be observing medical vacation, thus prompting the new developments regardless, even though an express sack of the two would have been announced, the source added.

Some of the excited members of the party have also rejoiced at some of the happenings in the party, saying it was surprising that some of the things Buni made to appear impossible had been addressed in four days, pointing out four critical decisions.

According to the stakeholder, who pleaded anonymity, “In four days, Bello has sworn in all the state chairmen of the parties of the party. That’s one. Two, he has received the zoning report from the committee. Three, he has summoned the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which is now slated for next Thursday, and four, he has just sworn in the national convention sub-committees of the party.

“What more can you say? There’s clearly nothing esoteric in leadership for as long as there is capacity and competence, and that’s all Bello has exhibited in just four days of taking over the party leadership and doing the simple things that almost threw the party into the abyss.”

But, in a development that might have justified all the steps so far taken in the APC, the party leadership has just discovered how a court order was secretly obtained in November last year  by a certain Salisu Umoru, which Buni was privy to and kept till the last minute, to stop the party from going ahead with the convention.

Justice Bello Kawu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) had in an exparte application delivered on November 18, 2021, restrained the APC and Buni “from organising, holding or conducting the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in January and February 2022 or any other date before or after pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

The suit marked FCT/MC/CV2958/2021 was brought by Umoru, and had as respondents, the APC, Buni and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Tracing some of the events that led to the emergence of Bello to the failure of Buni to effect the directive of President Buhari on March 1, 2022, the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, said the president, having accepted the zoning formula, directed the immediate swearing-in of state chairmen, who were elected some months back in order to put machinery in place for the convention, but sadly the directives were ignored.

His words: “The president gave three directives. He said this is the zoning formula that is fairest to everyone, I will sit with all the aspirants from North Central and will try to get to agree to consensus around one candidate, when I come back from my trip. Thirdly, he said they should swear in the states chairmen; they were elected months ago and they have not been sworn in, and because they have not been sworn in, the states executive cannot function, they should be sworn in so that a date can be fixed.”

According to him, the president added that they should give notice for an emergency national executive meeting, which he said required one week notice.

He noted that although Buni was not present in that meeting as he was said to be away on a medical trip, Bello who was a member of the caretaker committee, was mandated to pass the message to the caretaker committee to effect this action.

El-Rufai, however, said for days, no action was taken, saying, “Buni travelled abroad on medical treatment and handed over to Bello as acting chairman while he was away. Bello now said let’s implement the president’s directives and the National Secretary just refused.”

The Kaduna governor said, following the refusal, the governors gathered on Sunday before the president left for his trip abroad to complain that, “There is no movement on this thing and we are hearing that there was a court order and we now saw that there was one.”

But in spite of grandstanding and holding some face-saving media briefing on Tuesday, Akpanudoedehe failed to come to the party secretariat yesterday.

It was gathered that the security agents at the party secretariat were given clear orders not to allow Akpanudoedehe access to the secretariat.

A party source, who preferred anonymity, said it was because of Akpanudoedehe that the security at the national  secretariat  was beefed up.

“It was because of him that the security was beefed up. He has been asked to step aside and not to come close to the secretariat. We are in here for a serious matter now. We are preparing for the convention. March 26 is now sacrosanct. Before, when the Caretaker  committee sits, you won’t know what they discuss in the meeting. They will just come and eat and go,” the source said.

Also, encouraged by the developments in the party, Okorocha, who spoke to journalists yesterday at the party secretariat, said with the new leadership in place, the March 26 convention was possibility.

“I can see light now at the dark end of the tunnel and I’m more reassured more than ever that this convention will take place and it would be free and fair, given the leadership in place and given the stand of Mr. President.

“What simply needs to be done  is to give every member of this party a sense of  belonging, not forgetting the founding fathers and the parties that came together to form the APC.

“One, which is the Congress of Progressives  Change (CPC) led by President  Muhammadu Buhari; the Action Congress  of Nigeria (ACN) led by Asiwaju  Bola Tinubu; the All Progressives  Grand Alliance (APGA) led by Rochas Okorocha; the All Nigerians  Peoples Party (ANPP) led by Ogbonnaya Onu and Abdulaziz Yari and a host of others,” he said.

The party chieftain noted that if these people were carried along and the governors were recognised as leaders of the party, the party would have a peaceful convention.

He stressed that the party should, as a matter of urgency, respect the rule of law and obey the court judgment and orders, where they exist, adding that when this is done, it would also give everyone  a sense of belonging.

The former Imo governor said he came to the party secretariat to encourage the new leadership, give his word of advice and what should be done to move the party forward.

According to him, APC remained the people’s confidence, because the people believed in this party and “if we hold this convention on the 26, it will restore the confidence of the people and members of this party”.

To that extent, the governing APC leadership has approved the zoning of party offices, ahead of the convention.

This was contained in a statement, yesterday, by its Director of Publicity, Mr. Salisu  Ɗambatta.

“During its regular meeting on March 8, 2022, the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) approved the recommendations of the Committee on Zoning,” the statement stated.

The positions zoned to the North-Central are:  National Chairman,  National Vice Chairman, Deputy National Secretary, Deputy National Legal Adviser, Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Zonal Secretary, Zonal Youth Leader, Zonal Organising Secretary, Zonal Women Leader, Zonal Special Leader (Persons with Disabilities – PWD) and National Ex – Officio member.

Positions  zoned to the South-south are: National Vice Chairman, National Publicity Secretary, National Women Leader, Deputy National Treasurer, Deputy National Welfare Secretary, Zonal Secretary, Zonal Youth Leader, Zonal Organising Secretary, Zonal Women Leader, Zonal Special Leader (Persons with Disabilities – PWD) a d National Ex – Officio member.

For the South-west, the positions zoned to it are the National Secretary, National Vice Chairman, National Youth Leader, National Physically Challenged Leader, Deputy National Auditor, Zonal Secretary, Zonal Youth Leader, Zonal Organising Secretary, Zonal Women Leader, Zonal Special Leader (Persons with Disabilities – PWD) and  National Ex – Officio member.

The South-east positions are Deputy National Chairman (South), National Vice Chairman, National Treasurer, National Welfare Secretary, Deputy National Organising Secretary, Zonal Secretary, Zonal Youth Leader, Zonal Organising Secretary, Zonal Women Leader,  Zonal Special Leader (Persons with Disabilities – PWD) and National Ex – Officio member.

Positions zoned to the North-east are Deputy National Chairman (North), National Auditor, National Vice Chairman (North East), Deputy National Financial Secretary, Deputy National Women Leader, Zonal Secretary,  Zonal Youth Leader, Zonal Organising Secretary, Zonal Women Leader, Zonal Special Leader (Persons with Disabilities – PWD) and  National Ex – Officio member.

Those coming to the North-west are National Vice Chairman (North West), National Legal Adviser, National Organising Secretary, National Financial Secretary, Deputy National, Youth Leader, Zonal Secretary, Zonal Youth Leader, Zonal Organising Secretary, Zonal Women Leader, Zonal Special Leader (Persons with Disabilities – PWD) and  National Ex-Officio member, the post of National disabled leader is zoned to the Federal Capital Territory.

 The party, however, said the zonal representatives of the CECPC would coordinate the process in each zone.

Meanwhile, the CECPC has shifted its emergency NEC meeting from Tuesday to Thursday 17th March, 2022.

The notice of invitation for the meeting which would be held virtually was signed by nine out of the 12 members of the caretaker committee.

Those that signed the  notice were Bello, Senator Ken Nnamani – South East representative,  Senator Abubakar Yusuf – Senate representative, Stella Okotete – Women leader and James Lalu – PWD representative.

Others were Chief David Lyon – South-South representative; Senator Abba Ali – North West representative; Prof. Tahir Mamman – North East representative and Barr. Ismail Ahmed – Youth leader.

The last time the ruling party held its NEC was on December 8, 2020.

The notice read: “Under Article of 25B (i and ii) of the Party Constitution, and by the power vested on the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee  (CECPC) via the NEC resolution of 8th December 2020, the CECPC of our Party at its 23rd meeting of 8th March 2022, hereby calls for the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to consider matters about the National Convention, governance of the party and any other relevant business of the party.

 “All members of the NEC are by this invitation to take notice of the meeting by Article 12.3.”