…Detractors out to derail committees good work, alleges Buni
By Ezeocha Nzeh
The Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC National Caretaker committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni and his Secretary, John Akpan Udoedehe have been accused of putting their 2023 ambitions ahead of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) mandate of leading the party’s reconciliation and extra ordinary congress committee
There has been allegations that the ambitions of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee members were necessary for the delay in the mandated National Convention of the party.
The APC NEC had in June, mandated the caretaker committee to within six months of inauguration, complete the process of reconciling aggrieved party members, as well as conduct an extra ordinary elective congress to elect new National Working Committee (NWC) member to pilot the affairs of the party.
But with barely one month to the expiration of the six months mandate, the Buni led caretaker committee is yet to put in place a process to conduct the extra ordinary congress which is expected to be in December
It has been alleged that while the Yobe State Governor and Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee is nursing a presidential ambition for 2023 on the platform of the APC, the Secretary of the Committee, Senator John Akpan Udoedehe wants to succeed the Akwa Ibom State governor, Emmanuel Udom in the state as governor.
The duo, with other 11 members were appointed in June 25 to pilot the affairs of the party for six months after the past National Working Committee (NWC) led by the former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was dissolved.
Party sources revealed that the ambitions of the caretaker committee chairman and his secretary may have been responsible for the committees’ recent push for an elongation of their stay in office,
The committee, which has intensified its lobbying for tenure elongation has so far secured a vote of confidence from the Forum of APC state chairmen and a section of the party’s Non NWC NEC members, the integrity group
But the caretaker committees push has however received condemnations from many stakeholders and concerned members of the party, who recently issued it an ultimatum to eiher commence he process for the December extra ordinary congress or face backlash from party members
He source alleged that both Buni and Udoedehe are seeking to hold on to the party’s leadership for their own political gains ahead of 2023
The source, who craved for anonymity, while speaking with few journalists in Abuja over the weekend, alleged that the Caretaker Committee was trying to hijack the structure of the party for their political gain.
“You know that the Committee was specifically charged to conduct a National Convention by December but unfortunately the Committee had no plan for this.
“That informs the reason the Committee was inviting the Forum of State APC Chairmen and the Non NWC National Executive Committee members to pass vote of Confidence on them.
“This ploy of the leadership of the Caretaker Committee members would necessarily affect the progress of the party as members would soon commence agitation against their leadership.
“Also interested for political contest in 2023 is the representative of the Youths in the Caretaker Committee, Ahmed Ismael,” the source alleged
But in a swift reaction to the allegation, Director of Publicity to the Yobe state Governor, Mamman Mohammed described the allegation as a handiwork of political jobbers who are desperate to stop the ongoing reconciliation in the APC under Governor Mai Mala Buni.
Mohammded insisted that the Governor Mai Mala Buni led APC caretaker committee has not failed those who have reposed the confidence in them, stressing that the ongoing reconciliation in the party has yielded several dividend, and must not be abandoned.
“This type of anonymous allegation is championed by political jobbers who want to distract the party stake holders attention from the ongoing good reconciliation work, championed by the Mai Mala Buni led caretaker committee.
“Political jobbers must not be allowed to distract the attention of people to the already established reconciliation dividends. We have seen what the committee is doing and we must not allow trouble makers to destabilize the good work of this committee with unsubstantial allegations like this”. Mamman said
