* Fixes March 26 for zonal congresses
By Ezeocha Nzeh
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday confirmed NNS report last week that the planned February 26 National Convention may suffer postponement, following internal crisis that has rocked the party
The party, which had earlier written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), notifying and inviting it to monitor it’s February 26 convention issued another letter suspending it indefinitely
The APC in a fresh letter addressed to INEC on Monday, notified the commission of a fresh process to another convention, beginning with its arrangement to conduct zonal congresses on Saturday, March 26, 2022.
In the notification letter to INEC, with notification code APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/21, signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Governor Mai Mala Buni and Sen John James Akpanudoedehe respectively, the ruling party leadership urged the electoral Commission to; “kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly
Titled: “Notice for the conduct of zonal congresses”, the letter read: “The notice supercedes our earlier notice for National Convention referenced APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/14 this is predicated on the evaluation of our party constitution. .
“In furtherance to Article 85 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and compliance with Section 12:6 of our party Constitution, we hereby write to notify the Commission that our great party, the All Progressives Congress has scheduled to hold its Zonal Congresses on Saturday, March 26, 2022.
“Kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly. While hoping to receive your cooperation, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem,” the notification letter read.
Convention suspension:Buni leading yahoo yahoo politicians to destroy APC -ex PGF DG, Lukman, alleges
As controversy continues to trail the actual date of the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salisu Mohd Lukman, Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has accused the Governor Mai Mala Buni- led APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of towing the same inglorious path that led to the dissolution of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led APC national working Committee.
Lukman observed that the CECPC has sustained their disrespect of the leaders of the party, including President Mohammadu Buhari, even as he described the CECPC chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state as leading a cabal of “yahoo yahoo politicians” to destroy the party for their selfish interest
Lukman listed other APC leaders in the Buni led cabal as Loving state governor, Yahaya Bello, Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, and Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun
He alleged that the CECPC has also ignored all meaningful advice and suggestions from well-meaning party stakeholders especially as it has to do with the national convention of the party, adding that the CECPC should honourably resign if fails to organize the convention in February as agreed after the consultation with Buhari.
In an opinion article, Lukman claimed that the CECPC is deliberately delaying the convention even after getting the approval of president Mohammadu Buhari to hold it in February.
He maintained that the very fact that APC CECPC has refused to announce a date and venue of the Convention.while subtly sneaking out information that it is consulting with party leaders, are pointers that the Committee is also toying with the future of the party, wondering what further consultation is the CECPC doing regarding the convention.
“For whatever reasons, it would appear that the leadership of CECPC are enjoying all the public speculations maligning Governors and some other senior leaders of the party as working to stop the APC National Convention from holding in February 2022. This is most unfortunate.
“The truth must be told, the responsibility of organising the February 2022 APC National Convention rests squarely with the CECPC. At this point, it will be necessary to remind all members of the CECPC and by extension all leaders of APC that part of the reasons that made it very necessary to dissolve the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led National Working Committee (NWC) was the disrespect for leaders and members of the party, especially by Comrade Oshiomhole, the former National Chairman of the party.
“It was on record that during the tenure of Comrade Oshiomhole as National Chairman, the recommendations of party leaders and members were hardly considered.
“The CECPC leadership have returned the party back to mode of open disrespect for any recommendation given. It is even worse now given that the CECPC is ready to sacrifice the future of the party.
“Clearly, what is steering us in the face is that all the bad leadership records under Comrade Oshiomhole led NWC is about to be met and outstripped by the present CECPC. This clearly raises question about political leadership recruitment approaches in the country. Unless this is addressed, as a party, APC may continue to change leaders, but the problem will remain. APC, being a party envisioned to facilitate the process of political change in Nigeria, must appropriately use the present challenges to begin to introduce changes to the process of political leadership recruitment in Nigeria”.
Lukman insisted that the CECPC has no choice but to organize the convention in the month of February, failure which it should be made to step aside…..
“Unless the CECPC has given itself the new responsibility of being the political and electoral undertaker of the APC, it must stop promoting some subversive campaigns suggesting that it is undertaking ‘the immediate task of addressing contestations within the Party, litigations, fallouts of recently conducted Congresses and generally reposition the Party ahead of the National Convention.’ Once this is the case, it simply means the CECPC’s new objective is probably to take APC to its political grave. This should not be acceptable!”
