APC Forges Ahead with Convention Plan Amid Crisis

The All Progressives Congress  has been caught in a web of leadership  crisis in recent weeks. The crisis rocking the party is already threatening its national  convention  slated for March 26, Adedayo Akinwale writes:

The ruling All Progressives Congress   has been in the eye of the storm for some weeks  now, but the crisis rocking the party reached  a climax last  Monday after an unexpected leadership change at its National Secretariat 

The change of leadership at the party secretariat was however not without drama with security agents  mostly from the Nigerian Police numbering about 80 taking over the secretariat to maintain law and order. 

The  embattled Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and the Governor  of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni was out of the country for medical reasons before the leadership change was effected.

It was based on this that the Governor of Niger state, Abubakar Bello assumed the leadership of the party in acting capacity. The swift move was necessitated by the need to contain the crisis plaguing the leadership of the ruling party, which  forced President Muhammadu Buhari to approve the removal of Buni and in his stead, appointed his Niger State counterpart, Bello.

A faction of the APC governors had complained bitterly to the President that Buni was not inclined to holding the convention as rescheduled, because there were no preparations on  ground. Apparently miffed by what he was told, the president was said to have immediately directed that Buni be removed and replaced.

While the crisis was still raging, a former Director General of Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman fired another salvo when he said Buhari, like most party leaders and members, was highly disappointed at the serial cases of deliberate efforts by  Buni and his associates to block the APC Convention from holding based on alleged personal ambitions. 

He noted that between November 2021 and January 2022, the APC Convention had to be postponed three times because of deliberate refusal to initiate most of the processes required, such as booking the venue for the Convention and serving the statutory three weeks’ notice to INEC.

Lukman pointed out that there were other serious allegations against the leadership of Buni which include the discovery that his group, since November 2022, had obtained a Court injunction against the Convention and are waiting until three or two days to the Convention before serving it on the party to succeed in blocking the March 26 APC Convention from holding.

The party chieftain, in another statement alleged that Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, as well as  Orji Kalu were working with  Buni to undermine the national convention of the party slated for March 26.

According to him,  There are known collaborators of His Excellency Mai Mala who have colluded with him to ensure that all attempts to organize 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 organize the APC National Convention are His Excellency Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, His Excellency Hope Uzodinma of Imo State and His Excellency Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. There are other party leaders, including Senator Uzo Kalu who have actively supported His Excellency Mai Mala to undermine the decision to organise the National Convention of the party.”

APC Govs Back Bello

Nevertheless,  after the dramatic turn of events, APC governors appeared to have already pledged their support for Bello as he assumed the leadership of the party. Following his resumption last Monday,   Babagana Zulum of Borno, Babjide Sanwo-Olu of  Lagos, Yahaya Bello of  Kogi, Hope Uzondinma of Imo, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, and AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara state stormed the national secretariat of the party to show support.

Bello who told journalists that the taking over of the leadership of the party has the blessing of Buhari said after the inauguration of APC state chairmen at the party Secretariat in Abuja that the governors were at the secretariat to show him support.

“Most of my colleagues are here to support me to receive the report. You know the zoning committee report is a very important one. And all the governors here are here to support me. Now, at zonal level, they can go and do their work,” he said.

The Governor of Ondo state, Rotimi Akeredolu said most of the governors are resolute behind Bello to salvage the party except a few ‘Yahoo, Yahoo’ governors.

He said  the insidious and appalling happenings within the party in the last few months, especially under Buni, was a huge embarrassment. Akeredolu noted that without necessarily dwelling on details that are known to critical stakeholders, the path taken lately by  Buni and an indivisible few, was an unenviable trajectory undeserving of the party. 

He said, “Succinctly, aside from feeling very delighted as a major stakeholder in the latest successful ‘Rescue Mission,’  I express my confidence in the ability and capacity of Governor Sanni Bello to take APC through. We, the governors are for the party except for the few “Yahoo, Yahoo” Governors  (apologies to Salihu, former DG of the Progressive Governors’ Forum) who were hand in glove with Buni to circumvent the will of majority of our Party (APC) members. Progressive Governors in the true name, mostly all of us, are determined to see our party through these patchy parts at all cost. “

19 Govs Sign Buni’s Sack – el-Rufai

On his part,  Governor of Kaduna state,  Nasir el-Rufai said 19 of the 23 governors were on the same page on the mission to prevent the party from collapsing. He confirmed that an injunction has been obtained following a request from the court by a party member to the effect that the party should not hold its convention until his grievances have been addressed.

El-Rufai said: “We got wind of a court process wherein an order had been gotten directing that the convention should not be held until the determination of the case.  And it was unfortunate that our lawyer engaged by Buni-led committee agreed with this in court. If this remains, how can the convention be done? We got signals that there were some elements in the party that were bent on scuttling the proposed March 26 convention.”

El-Rufai also confirmed that the Caretaker committee had taken action on the secretary, saying he  believed that whatever they did was done in accordance with the law.

Confusion Over Akpanudoedehe’s Fate

Though El-Rufai claimed that the Caretaker committee had taken action on the Secretary, there was still a web of  confusion  over the fate of Senator John   Akpanudoedehe. While there were reports that Akpanudoedehe had tendered his resignation having read the handwriting from the new leadership, he, on the other hand, claimed he was still the Secretary except the President said otherwise.

He insisted that he remained the National Secretary of the party until President Buhari says otherwise, saying he wouldn’t accept a situation, where some people would be dropping the name of the President, adding that he and Buni would wait until they hear directly from the President.

The Secretary  stressed, “I have read on social media that I have resigned as Secretary of the APC. I want to state that it is not true. I didn’t resign. If I had resigned, you would have seen my letter of resignation written by me. Someone cannot just say somebody is dead when he is alive.

“I am not bigger than the party, or bigger than the President, who is a leader of the country. I am waiting for my national chairman to come back. This is not the first time you are seeing a power play.  I am waiting for the Chairman. If we have a directive from the President that we should resign, we are not bigger than the President, we will do so, if we hear from him.”

Buni Remains Chairman – APC Senators Insist

With Buni enduring the raging storm and the stiff opposition in the past few days, Senators elected on the platform of APC,  after a closed-door meeting  for about three hours last week,  insisted that Buni remain the Chairman of the Caretaker chairman of the party.

 Leader of the Senate, Yahaya Abdullahi told journalists after the meeting that required strategies have been mapped out by the caucus to bring all interest groups together in making the party stronger and well-positioned for the 2023 general election. 

It said: “Governor Buni, to us, remains the Chairman of the National Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party. He will resume in that capacity any moment he returns from Dubai, where he went for a medical check-up. Governor Sani Bello, who is acting in that capacity now is doing so to avoid a vacuum in leadership and most importantly, to put in place required arrangements for the forthcoming National Convention of the party, 17 days from now.”

Notice of NEC Meeting

The opposition against Buni shows no sign of slowing down with the acting Chairman  of the caretaker committee,  Bello, fixing a date for the emergency National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting slated  for 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.

Many believed that the decision taken to move against Buni and Akpanudoedehe would be ratified at the NEC meeting.

INEC Rejects Bello

The proposed emergency NEC meeting of the APC appeared to have hit the rock after the  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to recognize the leadership of the party led by Bello.

The electoral body said according  to the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) and the commission’s regulations and guidelines for political party operations, the invitation letter was not signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the CECPC.

The  letter dated March 9, 2022, addressed to the CECPC National Chairman, was signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

It read: “Please refer to your letter Ref. APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/022/32, dated 8th March 2022. The Commission draws your attention to the fact that the notice for the meeting was not signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the CECPC contrary to the provision of Article 1.1.3 of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Party Operations (2018).

“Furthermore, the APC is reminded of the provision in Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which requires ‘at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference, or meeting convened for the purpose of ‘merger’ and electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any elective offices.’

Purported Handover Letter by Buni

In the thick of the crisis, a purported letter written by Buni which showed that he handed over to the acting party chairman Bello. Buni in the said  letter informed  the electoral body that he would be embarking on a medical trip to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The letter read: “This is to please inform you that I will be embarking on a medical trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from today, 28th February, 2022. I will resume office upon my discharge from the hospital. In my absence, I hereby transmit the functions of my office as the National Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to you. 

“This is to enable the Committee conclude all arrangements reading to the National Convention slated for March 26th, 2022 and other duties that may be required of the office. I invite all members to cooperate with Governor Abubakar Sani Geilo, by extending to him all the support that I have enjoyed from you.”

INEC Denies Receipt of Handover Letter

The electoral body however denied the receipt of such a letter, saying it would have responded if such a communication existed. The National Commissioner, Voter Education and Publicity of the commission, Mr. Festus Okoye said there are 18 registered political parties in Nigeria and all of them have the same incidents of registration. 

According to him, The Commission has formal ways of communicating with Political Parties. The Commission is a public trust and any Political Party or individual that is interested in any communication by the Commission or to the Commission can apply for a Certified True Copy of the document. If the Commission is in receipt of such a document it will issue a CTC and will also respond if such a communication does not exist.

Nevertheless, the governing party has clarified that Buni remained substantive Caretaker Chairman, while Bello was only acting in his absence. The party further  clarified that Bello was acting with the full authority of the caretaker committee, stakeholders, leaders of the party, and with the full consent of Buni. 

The National Youth Leader and the party spokesperson, Mr. Ismaeel Ahmed while addressing a press conference last Friday wondered why people are making this an issue. 

He said: “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 acting Chairman. It has always been the case that has never changed. It has always been the case. 

“And now we have a convention on the 26th of March, the chairman wrote a letter and transmitted, for his leave to go for medical treatment. These are two emergencies. He has a medical emergency that cannot wait for convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy. So one has to leave for other. The Chairman left, transmitted a letter, Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. What is the problem? Why is it? Why is it difficult for people to simply understand that? “

Meanwhile, the ruling party has also clarified that Akpanudoedehe did not resign his position, nor was he sacked by the party.

APC Director of Publicity, Mr. Salisu Dambatta in a statement issued  said the party is on big family and the Caretaker committee is or unit 

He stated: “Further to the Media Conference earlier held by the Spokesman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Barrister Ismaeel Ahmed, the party wishes to note that the Secretary of the CECPC, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, never sent a resignation letter to the Party to the best of its knowledge and neither was he sacked as some social media blogs speculated. All those are utterly false.”

Buhari Wades In

The President has  warned the leaders and members of APC to desist from name-calling and backstabbing ahead of the oncoming March 26 Convention, remain steadfast and maintain its unity if the party is to continue in the path of victory and its dominance at all levels throughout the country.

Buhari, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media, Garba Shehu asked APC  members to look at the once-powerful, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) now enfeebled and adrift and learn lessons in disunity, mismanagement and corruption.

He said,  ”Yes, we are entitled to our own share of dissent and intra-party discord. These are common in all parties, left and right all over the world. But parties splintered by competing egos destined themselves to the worst possible fate,” the President warned.