Convention: APC Squabbles over Buni, Niger’s governor

The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was engulfed in high-wire drama yesterday, as the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, was chaired by another APC governor for the first time in 21 months, raising questions about the chairmanship of Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.

The party hierarchy and governors elected on the party’s platform were split on whether or not to hold a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting yesterday on Sunday night.

President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have fired Buni, with Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello tipped to take his place.

President Buhari left Nigeria for a two-week medical tour in London on Sunday, and Buni is also out of the country.

Governor Bello arrived at the APC secretariat yesterday morning amid tight security and presided over the day’s events, which included the swearing-in of state party chairmen and the receipt of a report from the zoning committee, headed by Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq of Kwara State, fueling speculations of a ‘palace coup’ against Buni.

This occurred on the same day Buni stated that he would remain chairman of the CECPC, with a member of the committee stating that the committee would complete its task and shame its critics.

How did Bello become acting chairman of the CECPC?

However, new information about how Governor Abubakar Sani Bello became acting national chairman of the CECPC has surfaced.

Checks revealed that Governor Buni, the CECPC’s National Chairman, had handed over the reins of the party to Governor Bello when he left the country last week.

Governor Buni had wanted to hand over to the National Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, or former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, according to reliable party sources, but some forces within the party, particularly state governors, wanted a “neutral” person to steer the party’s affairs in the interim.

“Governor Buni went overseas on a private visit last week and appointed Governor Sani Bello to act in his absence via a letter,” a source in Governor Buni’s office said, putting to rest rumors that President Buhari had sacked Buni as CECPC chairman and replaced him with Governor Sani Bello.

“Governor Buni usually passes the baton to Senator Akpanudoedehe, and on rare occasions, Senator Ken Nnamani.” He wanted to hand over to either of them before flying out of the country, but vested interests persuaded him to hand over to Governor Bello, which he did. It’s surprising that some people are now spinning extremely dangerous narratives implying that Buni has been fired, even going so far as to say that a sole administrator has been named, implying that the CECPC has been disbanded. Nothing could be further from the truth, according to a second source.

Increased security

Following reports of Buni’s dismissal, there was a heavy security presence at the APC’s Buhari House national secretariat.

Police officers had taken strategic positions in and around the secretariat as early as 8 a.m., restricting human and vehicular movement as part of efforts to maintain law and order, they said.

According to one of the operatives, they were dispatched to the secretariat as early as 2 a.m. to secure the party’s facilities.

Acting Chairperson

Governor Buni may have been unilaterally sacked from supervising the affairs of the CECPC by President Buhari, but Governor Bello dismissed such claims, saying he is only serving in an acting capacity.

Bello announced his appointment after presiding over a ceremony to administer oaths of office to APC state chairmen. He said he has been acting as the party’s national chairman since Governor Buni left.

Governor Bello also received the report of the APC Convention zoning committee from Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the chairman and Governor of Kwara State, who led the committee’s other members.

The CECPC had inaugurated the party’s state executives on February 3, but did not administer an oath to the party chiefs, either by commission or omission. As a result, the legitimacy of their election as chairmen was called into question.

“The state chairmen took their oath of office today (Monday) and we discussed progress made so far on Convention and what needs to be done next so that we can achieve the March 26 date for the Convention,” said Governor Bello, who was previously speculated to have taken over from Buni.

“Acting Chairman,” Bello said when asked in what capacity he presided over the meeting. Since the chairman went on vacation, I’ve been acting.”

Then he and the reporters had this conversation:

Can you confirm the news that you have been named acting chairman, succeeding Buni?

You mentioned breaking news. You mentioned breaking news. But don’t we want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth?

There will be no further comment.

At 12 p.m., Governor Bello arrives at the APC secretariat.

Governor Bello arrived at the secretariat around 12 p.m. and immediately went to the National Working Committee, NWC Hall, where he met with some CECPC members.

Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, the CECPC’s National Secretary, arrived at the secretariat shortly after him at 12:07 p.m.

Bello sat on the seat meant for the national chairman while parking his official vehicle in the designated parking lot of the “National Chairman.” According to sources at the meeting, Governor Bello presided over the session, which was attended by nine of the 12 CECPC members.

There had been rumors that President Buhari had approved Governor Buni’s dismissal as CECPC national chairman.

According to other reports, the CECPC was disbanded and Governor Bello was appointed as the party’s sole administrator.

The CECPC’s regular meetings were held on Mondays.

“As part of the activities leading up to our national convention, we have just received a report from the zoning committee headed by the Kwara State Governor and the Deputy Senate President,” Governor Bello said in a second interview after the brief CECPC meeting.

“At the same time as we swore in the state party chairmen, we deliberated on the progress made thus far toward the convention, and I believe I am satisfied with what we have seen so far.”
“I am not aware of any position at the moment,” Governor Bello said when asked about Governor Buni’s current position in the CECPC. I know he’s been around.”

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“Well, every time there is a major event, we beef up security,” the governor said of the secretariat’s security. We have a major event today, and all of the chairmen have arrived to maintain law and order.”

“Almost every day,” Governor Bello said of his visits to the secretariat. The majority of my coworkers have come to support me in receiving the report. You know how important the zoning committee report is, and all of the governors are here to support me. They can now go do their work at the zonal level.”

“Of course,” the Niger governor said when asked if the president was aware of what happened within the party on Monday.

Gov. Buni insists, “I’m still in charge.”

In the meantime, despite reports that President Buhari had fired Governor Buni, the CECPC national chairman, Governor Buni has maintained that he is still in charge of the party, calling reports to the contrary “fake news.” Senator Akpanudoedehe, the CECPC’s National Secretary, made the announcement on behalf of the governor.

“Our attention has been drawn to sponsored media reports on an alleged leadership change in the All Progressives Congress’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC,” the statement read.

“The media report is false information that should be ignored.

“The APC is a rule-based progressive political party. By name-dropping in the media,’sources’ do not announce leadership changes. We urge our throngs of supporters, members, and the general public to remain calm and support Governor Mai Mala Buni’s APC CECPC in holding a credible and rancour-free National Convention worthy of our great party.”

Lukman erupts.

Salihu Moh. Lukman, the immediate-past Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF, has slammed reports that President Buhari may have sacked Governor Buni as the CECPC national chairman in the wake of the party’s leadership crisis.

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In a statement released yesterday, Lukman said the story was planted by those sympathetic to Buni in order to portray President Buhari as a dictator.

There are several allegations against the Buni-led CECPC, according to him, one of which is that the committee has allegedly obtained a court order prohibiting the national convention from taking place on March 26 but intends to tender the convention a few days later.

“The sensational but deceptively planted news in some media is that President Buhari has fired His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni as Chairman of the APC CECPC and replaced him with His Excellency, Abubakar Sani Bello as Sole Administrator,” he said.

“This is a clear misrepresentation of all internal APC contests aimed at freeing the party from the mutinous leadership of His Excellency Mai Mala Buni, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, and their few allies.”

“The truth is that President Buhari, like most party leaders and members, is deeply disappointed by His Excellency Mai Mala Buni and his associates’ repeated attempts to sabotage the APC Convention on the basis of alleged personal ambitions.

“Between November 2021 and January 2022, the APC Convention was forced to be postponed three times due to a deliberate refusal to initiate most of the required processes, such as booking the Convention venue and serving the statutory three-week notice to INEC.

“There were also other serious allegations leveled against His Excellency Mai Mala’s leadership, including the discovery that his group had obtained a court injunction against the convention since November 2022 and was waiting until three or two days before the convention to serve it on the party to succeed in preventing the March 26 APC Convention from taking place.

“The plot is that His Excellency Mai Mala wants to keep running the party’s affairs and hold the party’s primary, where candidates for the 2023 elections will be chosen…

“As part of the plot, they decided to present it in the media that President Buhari has sacked His Excellency Mai Mala Buni as Chairman of the CECPC and appointed His Excellency Abubakar Sani Bello as Sole Administrator after hearing that President Buhari had agreed with some party leaders that necessary steps to save the party should be taken, which require a change of CECPC leadership.”

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“This is a nefarious plot to portray both the party and President Buhari as undemocratic.” On the contrary, internal party organs with all the statutory powers to make all the necessary changes will be used to carry out President Buhari’s, party leaders’, and members’ wishes to free the APC from His Excellency Mai Mala’s leadership.

Anyone who succeeds His Excellency Mai Mala and Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe as Chairman and Secretary, respectively, will have the full mandate of the organs vested with such responsibility as provided by the party’s Constitution.

“This is the time for His Excellency Mai Mala and Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, as well as all of their collaborators, to show their commitment to the party and President Buhari. Attempts to delegitimize the leadership transition will only confirm their undertaker mission rather than serving as CECPC leaders, according to Lukman.

Contrary to convention, a court order was issued.

Indeed, anti-Buni forces in the APC circulated a court order yesterday, alleging that Buni obtained it to halt the APC convention.

Mr. Salisu Umoru sued the APC, Buni, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on November 18, 2021, in High Court 15, Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, seeking an interlocutory injunction prohibiting the APC, Buni, and their agents from organizing, holding, or conducting the APC’s National Convention in January and February 2022 or at any other”date either before or after pending the hearing and determination of the subsisting suit

Before adjourning the hearing to January 10, 2022, Justice Bello Kawu, the presiding judge, ordered that the APC and Buni could only hold the National Convention after the pending suit was resolved. Mr. Kingsley Ebibrah Okoroh, the court registrar, signed the order.

Detractors will be shamed – CECPC member

In response to the party’s developments, a member of the CECPC stated that the committee would “stabilize the APC and shame its detractors.”

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The CECPC member dismissed the claim that Buni had obtained a court order to halt the convention, saying that the Buni-led committee had done its best to reposition the party and should be commended.

“How is Buni responsible if someone takes the party to court to stop the convention?” Eight of the nine promises made at the inauguration have been kept by the committee. The party has been rescued and stabilized as a result of it.

It is the promotion of peace that has attracted more legislators and governors, bringing the total number of APC governors to 22, giving the party a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.

It completed membership registration, resulting in the party having 41 million members, making it Africa’s largest political party. The CECPC’s final task is to organize a national convention, and it wants to get it right the first time by involving all stakeholders. And it will do so with the help of genuine party leaders and stakeholders,” the party’s leader said.