Victor EzejaFollowing the internal squabble that rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last one week, leading to purported removal of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee (CECPC) Chairman, Mai Mala Buni, a truce seems to have been reached with the CECPC subtly announcing the chairman’s return to assume party leadership.
A statement on Tuesday, March 15, signed by the CECPC, national secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, indicated that the party has become crisis free, strong and united in offering quality leadership and good governance, and that the Buni-led CECPC was not dissolved.
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Reports in different sections of the media had it last week that the APC has sacked Buni and his committee members, putting in place new chairman, and governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello.
Buni was accused of working with a few individuals to scuttle the party’s national convention scheduled to hold on March 26, 2022, to their advantage. This according to some sources led to his replacement with Bello.
But the CECPC said in the statement on Tuesday that the committee under Buni’s watch remains and continues to offer its leadership services to members of the party.
CECPC explained that the events of last week within the party was due to the committee chairman’s absence because of medical trip abroad, while some activities needed to be carried out due to their urgency to satisfy the timetable for the 2023 General Elections released by INEC recently.
The CECPC specifically stated that the chairman authorised members of the committee to “continue work in his absence, particularly the day to day management of the APC.
“That all such actions were clearly identified at all times as happening in an acting or proxy capacity, and under the auspices of the substantive Chairman, His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni, contrary to widespread speculations that the chairman, Secretary or some other officials of the CECPC have been removed from Office or otherwise replaced.
“That the CECPC is intact and functional as originally constituted,” the CECPC stated.
It affirmed that the March 26 convention will still hold, adding that the CECPC is poised to “delivering a seamlessly successful National Convention for the APC.”
“We shall continue to execute such assignments as are legal pending the return of the Chairman who is on his way back to the country and shall resume Office on arrival with the full support of all members and other stakeholders,” the committee further stated.
On the purported court order granted on November 18, 2021 prohibiting the party convention from holding, the CECPC disclosed that the party has engaged a team of senior lawyers to address it, and called on the judiciary to give it an urgent attention.
“We hereby call on the Judiciary to give the matter the needed and expedient attention in our bid to vacate the purported Court order and allow for the conduct a transparent and rancour free National Convention deserving of our great party, APC.
“The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) hereby restates absolute loyalty to the APC, thanks the National organs and leadership of our party led by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and reassures our members and citizens that the party is stronger than ever before and poised to extend her winning streak since 2015 into 2023 and beyond,” the CECPC added.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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