APC: Much ado over special convention
As the December deadline of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led National Caretaker and Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) draws closer, there is tension arising from claims that the committee plans to extend its tenure, reports ‘Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor
AMIDST strong indications that the National Caretaker and Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may not deliver on its assignment to conduct a convention that will usher in a new National Working Committee (NWC) for the party this year, some prominent groups and chieftains of the party are determined to oppose an extension of the tenure of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led caretaker committee.
Reliable party sources told our correspondent that faced with the reality that it may not be possible for the much expected convention to hold this year, the Buni committee may have resolved to hold a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the party before the expiration of its current six-month tenure so as to allow leaders of the party take a decision of what will become of the current leadership in the absence of an elective convention by the end of the year.
However, there are also strong indications that some chieftains of the party are poised to oppose any plan to elongate the lifespan of the current interim leadership should Buni and his members fail to make the convention happen. The Nation gathered that some prominent chieftains of the party, including serving governors and former governors, National Assembly members, ex and current ministers, among others, are not favorably disposed to the elongation of the tenure.
At an emergency NEC meeting in the Presidential Villa on June 25, 2020, the party dissolved the Adams Oshiomhole–led National Working Committee and set up a panel headed by Governor Buni. As stipulated at the meeting in line with the constitution of the APC, the Buni-led interim committee has a six-month tenure within which it is expected to organise a national convention, where substantive leaders of the party will emerge.
But, about a month to the expiration of the six-month term, dawning realities that the convention may not hold appear to have once again pitched chieftains of the ruling party against one another, fuelling rumours that the APC may be on its way back to crisis. According to many party sources who claimed anonymity, leaders of the party are aware of the looming crisis and are doing everything possible to avert it.
“It is not right to say APC leaders are not doing anything to ward off what you describe as a looming crisis. We are a party with tradition and we have our ways of doing things. We are aware of the agitations over elective convention and alleged tenure elongation plan. We will not allow anything to return our party to the days of crises. Everybody is working round the clock to bring about an understanding that will prevent any serious disagreement over these issues.
“The caretaker committee is assuring everybody that it has no plan to do anything outside its mandate. Those expressing fears have a right to do so. It is our duty to allay their fears and that is what we are doing. Very soon, the party will meet to take a position on all these issues and resolve all worries. The assignments given to the committee under Governor Buni are clearly spelt out and we are guided by those terms of reference in everything we do,” our source explained.
NOW OR LATER?
Although rumours had been rife before now about alleged plot by the Caretaker Committee to seek an extension of its tenure beyond December, the Caretaker Committee recently gave the speculations some boost closer to the realm of reality when it announced that the APC will not hold a convention while it is still in any form of crisis. This statement came just as the party confirmed that it has made tremendous progress in reconciling its members; that it is yet to resolve all the disagreements in some of its state chapters.
“It is important that the APC conducts its planned national convention to produce the party’s national leadership as a united house. Otherwise, the main aim of constituting the CECPC, following the dissolution of the immediate-past National Working Committee (NWC) will be defeated. To reposition the party to ensure good governance, Governor Buni proposed the recently-inaugurated tripartite Executive/Legislative/APC Consultative Committee, which is ensuring synergy, good governance and accelerated implementation of the Next Level agenda.
“Ahead of the planned APC National Convention and the 2023 General Elections, stakeholders should continue to support the CECPC efforts to unite the party in order to make it formidable enough to consolidate on the APC’s national governing status and landmark achievements. The APC must not go into a National Convention and indeed a general election in crisis. We should take it one step at a time and ensure that the ongoing national reconciliation process being undertaken by the CECPC is sustained, successful and continue to yield results,” a statement by the party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, stated.
The statement further fuelled speculations that the Caretaker Committee had resolved not to conduct a convention this year as the plan is for them to seek an extension. However, a few days after Nabena’s statement, Governor Buni debunked rumours of the committee elongating its tenure, saying the rumours were false. According to him, the committee is at the mercy of the party’s National Executive Committee and only they have the power to end or elongate their tenure.
According to the Yobe Governor, the National Executive Committee will meet before the end of the year to work out a proper timetable for the party. But when asked when the committee plans to hold the convention that will usher in a substantive leadership for the ruling party at the national level, the chairman of the APC Caretaker and Convention Planning Committee was not definitive on when a party convention is likely to hold; he merely said “that will happen soon.”
Obviously moved by the prevarications of the Buni-committee on when the convention will hold, a group known as Concerned All Progressives Congress (CAPC), accused the interim leadership of the party of having plans to stay in office beyond December by not conducting the convention this year. The group said such plans are against the constitution of the party. Members of the group vowed never to accept an extension of the committee any further.
Spokesman of the group, Ogenyi Okpoku, while addressing newsmen in Abuja, also argued that the composition of the caretaker committee was at variance with section 17 (4) of the party’s constitution which states that ‘nobody can hold executive position at the same time with party position. The Caretaker Committee should begin the process of convening the National Convention in December with immediate effect. If our demands are not met, we will have no option than to approach the courts for interpretation of our constitution as it was done before you came onboard, and we will occupy our secretariat.”
However, Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State corroborated Buni’s position that members of the committee were not people seeking appointments or planning to stay put in office. According to him, none of the committee members is seeing the current assignment as a permanent or long term one. He cited Buni who he said has enough challenges as the governor of his state. “The caretaker committee members are not plotting to stay long,” he said.
LOOMING CRISIS?
However, a prominent chieftain of the party, Senator Kabiru Marafa, who represented Zamfara Central in the Senate, said many chieftains and members of the party will resist any attempt to shift the planned convention beyond December. He told Buni to immediately convene a National Convention or resign. Marafa also faulted the decision of the committee to conduct membership registration as he insists it is clearly outside its mandate.
He contended that membership registration was not part of the mandate of the committee, saying it was diversionary and an attempt by Buni to perpetuate himself in office. “Your State, Yobe, is in a deeper crisis than APC; the state needs you more than the party, emulate your senior brother and colleague in Borno. Your agenda will collapse in a similar way to the ones before yours collapsed. Many chieftains of our party are calling on you to restrict the activities of your committee to the convocation of a national convention.
Don’t overstretch your luck. We are not afraid of you. Many of us are aware that your appointment is unconstitutional. [Section 17(iv) of our party’s constitution is very clear. We only kept quiet because of the respect we have for Mr. President and the belief that the party needs to open a new page. Be informed that any action you take outside your primary mandate of organising a convention that will usher in a new set of executives will be null, void and of no effect whatsoever. You have up to December to do the needful or we chase you out,” he said.
Few hours after he made the statement, the APC in Zamfara announced that Marafa remains suspended from the party, recalling that he was first sanctioned in 2019. Zamfara State APC Chairman, Lawal Liman, in a statement, condemned the comments credited to him. “We are calling on the party to ratify his suspension. Therefore, members of the public should not regard him as a member of the APC. Marafa is being used by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to disrupt peace and stability in our party,” he alleged.
And in a fresh twist to the unfolding drama over the APC convention, some supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari on the platform of Buhari/Osinbajo Dynamic Support Group, during the week, took a solidarity walk to the national secretariat of party, in support of tenure extension for the Buni-led Committee. Led by their National Coordinator, Hon. Usman Ibrahim, the group cautioned party members against threatening the committee over the planned tenure extension.
“We are all aware of the several crises within the party which cut across the states which if not handled carefully, are capable of tearing the party apart. But since the resumption of the caretaker committee, it has swiftly embarked on peace building, fence mending and reconciliation of the aggrieved party members. We urge the caretaker committee to remain focused, undeterred and unrelenting in its determination to reposition the party better than it was, and to our fellow party faithful to give maximum support to the committee innovations. As committed and dedicated members of the APC, we have observed with great admiration the magnificent reforms being championed by the Buni-led caretaker committee which is giving the party a rejuvenating impact since coming on board,” he said.
