By Ezeocha Nzeh
Members of the Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Congress Planning Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have retracted their footsteps in the alleged gang up against the national secretary, senator John Akpanudoedehe
Ten out of tge twelve members of the CECPC had passed a vote of no confidence on the embattled secretary, thereby recommending jis sack from the committee
The ten members had in a leaked memo on Thursday, 17th March disclosed that a vote of no confidence was passed on the CECPC National Secretary, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe.
A member of the CECPC, Barr. Ismaeel Ahmed disclosed to journalists in an unsigned statement that the decision was “in the best interest of the party”.Investigations by this newspapers however revealed that the ‘Vote of no confidence’ is not unconnected to the events of the first meeting chaired by the then Acting CECPC Chairman and Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello.
But in a reaction to the statement, a senior party official present at the meeting disclosed to journalists how Akpanudoedehe refused to append his signature to certain documents, particularly the rejected letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) convening an emergency APC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting, which would have countered the authority of Governor Mai Mala Buni, the CECPC National Chairman who was out of the country on a medical leave and aided his ouster in what was a carefully plotted palace coup.
As widely reported in the media, Akpanudoedehe stormed out of the inaugural meeting chaired by the then CECPC Acting Chairman and reports were wrongly spread in the media that he had resigned.
Akpanudoedehe promptly denied the reports that he has resigned
The conspirators however masked their plot behind a desire for the Party to accelerate activities in its march towards the National Convention, and sponsored allegations of the Party’s slow progress.
“Akpanudoedehe is clearly a victim of loyalty and caught in the powerful and intricate web of trying to balance competing interests in the Party’s favour.
“He stood by Governor Buni, the CECPC National Chairman and the Party rules, insisting that the Party be administered in line with the Chairman’s directives.
“This act of loyalty earned Akpanudoedehe the ire of the ten members of the Caretaker Committee, who executed their stiff penalty against him by passing a vote of no confidence on him.”What they failed to note is the fact that they had no power to oust Senator Akpanudoedehe, as only the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Party which put him in the office, could oust him.” The senior party official present at the meetings disclosed.
Also, a senior lawyer, Eyibio Udo Esq submitted thus:LEGALITY OF PURPORTED VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE ON THE SECRETARY OF THE CARETAKER/ EXTRA-ORDINARY CONVENTION PLANNING COMMITTEE SENATOR JOHN JAMES AKPANDOEDEHE The purported vote of no confidence of 8th March, 2022 on the Secretary of the Caretaker/Extra – Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John James Akpandoedehe, is null and void ab inito.
The procedure adopted by two – third of the members of the CECPC was ultra vires their powers and was not in conformity with the Party Constitution.Article 17 (v) of our Party Constitution which spells out the procedure to be adopted when passing a “vote of no confidence” on an officer of the Party provides as follows:-“Subject to ratification by the National Convention or Congress an Officer shall be relieved of his post at any time if a vote of “No Confidence” is passed on him by two-thirds of the members of the relevant Party organ” (Underlining supplied for emphasis)From the above quoted provision of the Party Constitution particularly the underlined portion thereof, it is clear that the power to pass a ‘vote of confidence’ is vested in Party Organs and same cannot be exercised by the CECPC occasioned by the fact that the Committee is not an Organ of the Party.All duly recognized Organs of the Party are listed in Article 11 of the Party Constitution and the CECPC is clearly not mentioned therein.
The Caretaker/ Extra- Ordinary Convention Planning Committee is not an Organ of the Party but an ad-hoc Committee created by the National Executive Committee, and therefore the CECPC cannot exercise powers applicable to recognized Organs of the Party.
“We must all be reminded that the Party Constitution is supreme and binding on all members of the Party. The status of the CECPC received judicial pronouncement by Justices of the Supreme Court in Eyiatayo Jegede’s Case, wherein the Supreme Court referred to the CECPC as an ad – hoc and interim Committee which was only temporary in nature.
“Secondly, where a Political Party intends to effect a change in its leadership structure there must be strict compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended) particularly Section 82 which stipulates that 21 days notice shall be given to INEC for any convention, congress, conference or meeting wherein a change of leadership would be conducted.In addition there was no mention of any complaint or allegations of abuse of office by the Secretary of the CECPC to warrant a “vote of confidence” by other members of the CECPC.
The principles of fair hearing ensure that anybody accused of any infraction should be served with the complaint or allegations against him and this clearly was not done in this case.Finally, the leader of the Party and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, issued a letter dated the 16th day of March, 2022 containing three directives to the Kebbi State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors forum, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu.A summary of the directives of Mr. President as it concerns the CECPC is that the leadership of the CECPC should immediately return to status quo ante and should equally be allowed to proceed with all necessary preparations to hold the convention unfailingly on the 26th day of March, 2022.
“The implication of the directives from Mr. President is that the original constituted membership of the CECPC should be allowed to finish their mandate and conduct the National Convention Scheduled for the 26th day of March, 2022.Consequently, any act which previously altered the membership of the CECPC’s has been nullified by the directives of Mr. President and any action which is inimical to the directives of Mr. President is an affront to the leader of the Party which should be resisted by all members and stakeholders of the Party.It should be noted that Mr. President in his letter also admonished all Party leaders to cease and desist from all actions which may ultimately lead to the Party’s implosion and non existence.
Therefore, we call on all members of the Party, stakeholders and Party leaders to avoid all distractions and work towards delivering a hitch free National Convention which would produce new executives of the Party that would lead us to victory in the forthcoming 2023 general elections, ” He stated
