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The spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, (CECPC) Barr Ismaeel Ahmed has clarified the misinformation arising from the leadership crisis in the party stating that there was no change in the party as Governor Mai-Mala Buni still remains the national chairman of the party.
The party said that Governor Buni’s health challenges made it necessary to handover the leadership baton to the Niger State governor, Sani Bello on acting capacity with “the full authority of the stakeholders, and leaders of the party, and with the full consent and knowledge of Governor Mai-Mala.”
Speaking with the newsmen at the party’s national secretariat, the party’s national Youth leader who also doubles as the party’s spokesperson, Barr Ahmed also said the party was going ahead with its proposed national convention even with the letter from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s stating that it will not observe the National Executive Committee meeting of the party scheduled for Thursday next week.
According to him, “On the position of Governor Mai-Mala Buni? I think it’s very simple. I don’t know why this is a complicated process for a lot of people to understand. Since the inception of this CECPC on June 25, 2020 whenever the chairman is not around and Governor Sani Bello is around, he acts on behalf of the acting Chairman. It has always been the case that has never changed. It has always been the case.
“And now we have a convention on the 26th of March, the chairman wrote a letter and transmitting, for his leave to go for medical treatment. These are two emergencies. He has a medical emergency that cannot wait for convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy. So one has to leave for other. The Chairman left, transmitted a letter, Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. What is the problem? Why is it? Why is it difficult for people to simply understand that?
“I just simply don’t understand why people are making this an issue. So Governor Bello is acting with the full authority of the caretaker committee and with the full authority of the stakeholders, and leaders of the party, and with the full consent and knowledge of Governor Mai-Mala Buni. It’s very clear and very simple. If anybody has any issues with any of our decisions, you can take it to court. For now we’re doing it with the full authority and backing of the law. So there is no ambiguity in this. Absolutely none.”
On the issue of the Senator John Akpanudoedehe not appearing in the latest list of the convention committee, the spokesperson said, “I didn’t say anything for other people as well. We just talked about the members of the committee we didn’t talk about either Secretary or Chairman, they have their responsibilities cut out for them anyways. The other members are all told to come back and handle specific departments. And that’s what we are doing, you know, and at the full course of time, once all these things are over, we will be able to brief you may be next week on the full status and everything but for now, these are the responsibilities of every member.
“If you have questions on any department, especially legal department, that some people seem to think that there are issues with legality Professor Tahir is more than capable to address you on this issue. So there is no issue, please. There is no issue of anything, power by the chairmanship was transmitted to Governor Bello and he is fully driving it right now and we are moving towards convention with the speed that is needed to move towards convention.”
On the controversy surrounding the convention, Barr Ahmed said, “Convention would hold on the 26th of March. I’m not only a youth leader or internal spokesperson, I’m also a lawyer. And we have served a notice to INEC for the 26th of February earlier. We serve that notice on the 5th of February and that was the required 21 days. If you are going to make any adjustment to that date all you need is a letter, making an adjustment to the date. You don’t need another 21 days and that letter was since written about two weeks ago, when we realised that we couldn’t hold it on the 26th of February. The moment, the CECPC agreed on the 26th of March, that letter was written to INEC, INEC has accepted that letter. So that is long gone, it is not an issue. The issue of the date of convention is not in question, not in INEC, not certainly with us. That is settled. It is sacrosanct that 26th of March and we have complied with all the rules and we have notified INEC as appropriately expected for us to do that. So that’s no longer an issue.”
The spokesperson further said that the Zonal Congress will hold same day with the convention.