In spite of his denial, the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Mai Mala Buni may have been removed from office.
The decision to remove Governor Buni is said to have the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami SAN.
The Yobe State Governor’s appointment on 25th June 2020 followed the dissolution of the party’s National Working Committee as a result of the crisis that rocked the tenure of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as National Chairman.
The primary mandate of the Buni caretaker committee and extraordinary national convention was to stabilise the party and conduct a national convention within a short time.
Almost two years later, the APC has witnessed twists and turns resulting in a serial postponement of its convention. Even the recent 26th March fixed for its national convention now appears threatened.
Over the weekend, some APC governors were said to have plotted a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party without the support of the leadership of the caretaker committee.
This group is led by Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello, who is a member of the caretaker committee representing the Northcentral.
Among his counterparts backing him and who attended the meeting at the weekend were the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ group and Kebbi State Governor, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, Simon Lalong (Plateau), and Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa).
In attendance at the meeting was Malami, the Minister of Justice.
But, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena gave an indication of the crack in the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
In a statement in Abuja last night, Nabena urged the Governor Sani-Bello to stop his plan to call a NEC meeting without the authorisation of the CECPC Chairman.
Nabena said: ‘I am using this medium to call on our leaders across the states to caution Governor Sani-Bello.
‘The Presidency should also call him to order to immediately drop the plan to convene a NEC meeting without the knowledge of Governor Mai Mala Buni and the Secretary of the CECPC
‘“The likes of Governor Bello are working against our party and to cause anarchy in the ruling APC.
‘Governor Sani Bello is neither the Chairman nor Secretary of the National Caretaker Committee. So, where did he get the power to convey such a meeting’?
