…Akpanudoedehe missing at meeting
..He remains sacked, new CECPC spokesman, Ismael insists
By Ezeocha Nzeh
Peace may have returned to the ranks of the Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Convention Committee (CECPC), as members have accepted the intervention of President Muhammadu Buhari to resolve their differences
This is even as the members gathered in a close door meeting at the Yobe State Governor’s Lodge, Abuja on Thursday
The meeting which started around 5.00pm, had in attendance all the members of both factions of the Caretaker Committee including Governors Mai Mala Buni and his Niger State counterpart, Governor Sani Bello, but without CECPC Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, who was declared sacked by the Bello led camp.
Governor Buni, who came into the country on Wednesday after a medical trip outside the country, in an attempt to restore peace in the committee, had issued letter confirming that all the decisions taken in his absence by the stand in chairman, Governor Bello, still stand.
With barely nine days to the National Convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), normalcy may have return to crisis turned party as conflicting reports have continued to come from both camps
President Muhammadu Buhari had on Wednesday intervened in resolving the lingering crisis, when he in a personally signed letter sued for peace, as he urged the APC Governors Forum and stakeholders of the ruling party to cue behind the caretaker committee chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state to conduct the March 26 national convention
The APC Governors had remained divided before the president’s intervention, with as Governor Sani Bello had tried to unseat Buni in what could be described as a palace cpoup
Few hours after the Buhari letter, Governor Buni swung into action, when he cancelled the March 17 planned National Executive Committee meeting. In cancelling the NEC meeting, Governor Buni, through the CECPC secretary, senator John Akpanudoedehe issued a statement declaring the meeting as purported and cancelled
In the statement on Thursday morning, which was signed by the National Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, Buni had removed other members of the CECPC from the Central Coordinating sub-committee, naming only himself and Senator Akpanudoedehe as Chairman and Secretary of the sub-committee respectively.
As the power ensued, the CECPC under the leadership of Governor Sani Bello of Niger state in acting capacity, released a resolution it reached at its March 8 meeting, where it passed a Vote of No Confidence on Akpanudoedehe, as eventually sacked him from the CECPC
Later in a dramatic swift, the Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Gov. Mai Mala Buni refuted the earlier statement which discarded the National Convention Sub-committees as recomposed in his absence by the acting CECPC Chairman, Gov. Abubakar Sani Bello.
Buni however maintained absolute silence on the fate of Akpanudoedehe, whose sack was among the decisions taken by Governor Sani Bello and the CECPC during his absence
It was not yet clear if the endorsement included the decision to sack the CECPC National Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe as the party declined comments as of the time of filing this report.
Governor Bello had, in Buni’s absence, among taking other actions, inaugurated about 20 sub-committees, declaring their membership composition as final.
Buni’s statement reads; “This is to bring to the notice of all stakeholders and members of the party that the purported suspension of some activities initiated and executed by the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee under the acting Chairman and Niger State Governor, H.E. Muhammed Sani Bello, is not true.
“Therefore, all activities that were done in my absence remain valid and binding. All-Party Stakeholders and members are hereby advised to disregard the previous statement discarding the activities of the Committee under the leadership of the Acting Chairman.
“It could be recalled that I had duly transmitted power to His Excellency, the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello to enable me to undergo medical attention. Therefore, all actions and measures taken by the Committee under his leadership as Acting Chairman, remain effective.
“The Party calls for support and understanding to move the Party forward to a successful Convention slated for March 26th, 2022”.
In a swift reaction to the statement, the Sani Bello led CECPC has insisted on the sack of the National Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe.
Spokesman of the Bello-led CECPC, Barr. Ismae’el Ahmed said that the notices for Akpanudoedehe’s sack was arrived at on March 8 by a majority of the members of the committee who passed a vote of no confidence on the erstwhile secretary of the committee.
The notice which was made available to the media on Thursday, has 10 of the 12 members of the committee signed including Senator Ken Nnamani, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, Prof Tahir Mamman, Senator Abba Alli, Chief David Lyon, Hon Akinremi Olaide, Mrs Stella Okotete, Barr Ismaeel Ahmed and Dr James Lalu.
