Issues as APC sets for convention

The All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to have responded adequately to the demand for conduct of a convention.The February date approved by President Muhammadu Buhari has, however,triggered mixed feelings amid cold war for the control of Buhari House, the APC national secretariat by power blocs. TAIWO AMODU examines the unresolved issues at stake.

On Monday, Kebbi State governor and chairman of the forum of governors on the platform of the APC, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu offered a piece of information that chieftains of the party and its ordinary faithful have been anxious to hear with bated breath: the conduct of a national convention that will put in place substantive national officers in place at the APC national secretariat, that has since been christened, Buhari House. Addressing newsmen, the chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum told villa correspondents that President Muhammadu Buhari had accepted February as date for the Convention as proposed by the governors. Governor Bagudu who said the inputs of other stakeholders would be considered before picking a specific date in February further admitted that the governing party has a long hurdle to cross ahead of the convention against the background of outstanding congresses. He said: “Part of the inputs we got was that we still have four states, which are in the process of completing their congresses – Anambra, understandably, because of the election, Zamfara, and two others that because of logistic challenges are yet to complete. Christmas is around the corner, and, then, early January will be very busy with Ekiti.”

Checks revealed that before weekend meeting by the PGF at Kebbi Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja  and their meeting with President Buhari, the threats of showdown with the All Progressives Congress Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee led by Yobe State Governor was imminent.

Penultimate week, a group operating under the platform, Concerned APC Stakeholders had demanded for the dissolution of the APCCECPC. Addressing newsmen on Thursday, leader of the group, Ayo Oyalowo, said the Caretaker Committee  has not met the objectives that informed its formation by  its leaders. Oyalowo recalled that the emergency meeting of the  National Executive Committee of party held in June 2020 where the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led National Working Committee was dissolved gave Governor Buni›s CECPC the clear mandate to reconcile aggrieved chieftains and conduct a national convention. Appraising its performance, Oyalowo claimed that the interim leadership has been creating more factions and tendencies within the party and in the process, worsening the crises rocking the ruling party.

Last weekend, another group, the Progressive Youth Movement led by a former governorship aspirant in Kogi State, Mustapha Audu, had at the end of its Northwest town hall meeting in Kaduna announced the dissolution of the Buni-led CECPC, claiming  that it would put in place a committee which would conduct the party’s national convention by February 2022. Last week, staff of the APC and residents living in the sprawling Blantyre street, where the APC national secretariat is located were subjected to stop and search by policemen who cordoned off the street.

National Secretary of the APC CECPC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe was to justify the heavy police presence as he told newsmen that they were acting on security reports made available to them.  Further checks revealed that certain aggrieved chieftains of the party were planning to storm the party national secretariat  in protests against the Governor Buni-led caretaker committee. According to a party source, the Governors emergency meeting and shuttle to the Villa to announce a date was therefore a face saving  measure to halt showdown with the Governor Buni leadership of the party.

More questions than answers

While Governor Bagudu had identified the outstanding congresses in certain states  as a reason for the February date, it remains to be seen how his counterpart in Yobe State will negotiate around the protracted crises trailing the outcome in states where  Congresses had already been conducted. In Delta, where the faction led by Senator representing Delta Central and deputy Senate president, Ovie Omo Agege continued to proclaim the emergence of new executive,  another faction, the Delta APC Leaders› Council and State Working Committee which has Minister of State,Labour, Festus Keyamo SAN, former governorship aspirant, Great Ogboru, Honourable Cairo Ojougboh, amongst others as members made good their threat to boycott the Delta State Congress. The group  said the process was conducted in breach of an agreement for a consensus arrangement to accommodate all tendencies in the State.

The party chieftains recalled that at a trouble-shooting meeting at the instance of former national Chairman of the party and Chairman, APC  South-South Reconciliation Committee, Chief Odigie Oyegun, all the power blocs resolved to use a consensus list for ward, local and State Congresses. They expressed disappointment that the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee led by Yobe State governor, Mala Buni allegedly connived with Senator representing Delta Central and deputy Omo-Agege to observe the agreement in the breach. They have since maintained that  no ward and local government Congresses were conducted in Delta State. In Oyo and  Osun states, the same stalemate over consensus agreement persists, two months to the convention. Apart from Delta, Oyo and Osun states, party chieftains are embroiled in power tussle for the control of party structures in Akwa-Ibom, Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Ebonyi, Enugu, amongst other states.

APC congresses: A bullying process?

Investigation revealed that  the APC CECPC which has three governors as members and emboldened by their colleagues in the  PGF is determined to proceed with the national convention,  having secured the support of President Buhari, amidst  formal petitions and protests  by aggrieved chieftains and factions who have dismissed the congresses conducted in their states as charade. Checks revealed that appeal panels were set up to take petitions from aggrieved individuals over conduct of ward and local government congresses but were not  given adequate time  to  conclude their assignment before the party national secretariat proceeded with the conduct of state congresses. National secretary of the party, Senator Akpanudoedehe in response to allegations that appeal panels were not allowed to do their work, told newsmen that those who appeared before the panels did not show convincing proof that they were shortchanged while others shunned the panels and only ventilated  their anger on the pages of newspapers.

A nine-man reconciliation committee with former Nasarawa State governor and Senator representing Nasarawa West, Abdullahi Adamu was inaugurated last October.

In his speech, Buni said his  “committee found it expedient to constitute the National Reconciliation Committee to reconcile emerging misunderstandings and differences which might arise from the outcome of the congresses.” On the terms of reference, Governor Buni tasked Senator Adamu Committee to “conduct appropriate engagement between identified groups in each state where there are disputes with a view to bringing about genuine reconciliation and establishing lasting peace and unity in the party; consult with party leaders and concerned members as the committee deems necessary with a view to achieving peace therein.”

The Senator Adamu committee was equally given the task to “critically examine areas of conflict on the just concluded Ward and Local Government Congress and advance solutions in the circumstance.” The Yobe governor urged them to conduct their assignment with diligence as he noted that their report would assist his leadership to conduct a seamless national convention. “Your report on the resolution of these discrepancies would indicate our readiness as a united and strong family for the national convention. Your assignment, therefore, has a great impact and influence on the convention. I enjoin members of the committee to remain resolute and dedicated to executing this assignment with a spirit of teamwork, taking the interest of the party above personal and selfish interests for APC to remain strong, united and Nigeria’s leading political party.”

A month after its inauguration, the Senator Adamu trouble shooting team is yet to reconcile the heavily fractured Buhari House.

Marafa: Bull in a China closet?

Senator who represented Zamfara Central in the eight National Assembly, Kabiru Marafa has vowed set to reopen the debacle over eligibility of Yobe state governor and Chairman of the APC CECPC, Buni to combine elective and party positions. Marafa is upset over alleged romance between his home state governor, Bello Muhammad Matawalle and Governor Buni in the leadership tussle rocking the North-West state. Senator Marafa and his ally and former governor, Abdul Aziz Yari are angry that Governor Buni handed over the control of the party structures to Governor Matawalle following the defection of the latter to the APC. Senator Marafa who dismissed the Ward and local government Congresses conducted in his state as a charade had since conducted a parallel Congresses. He seems to be planning to latch on the Supreme Court minority judgment which faulted Governor Buni eligibility to combine both elective and party positions. He said: “We have participated in the congresses, after this I am heading straight to the court. I have told Mai Mala Buni to leave the sleeping dog. I told him ‘don’t press us to the wall,’ but he has pressed us to the wall. In fact, he has pushed us into the wall and we are going to fight back. Whatever the consequences this will bring, I want the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to note this because I am sure he is not aware of the illegality Mai Mala is committing. We are going to challenge Mai Mala’s committee in the court and I don’t care whatever anybody has to say. Mai Mala Buni has looked for my trouble and I am going to give him ten times.”

Citing provisions of Article 17(4) of the APC 2014 Constitution (as amended) and Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, Senator Marafa had said all the activities leading to the national convention were a nullity and would be challenged in Court.

Article 17(4) of the APC 2014 Constitution,(as amended)  read in part:” No officer in any organ of the Party shall hold Executive position office in government concurrently.”  Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution states that: “The governor, shall not, during the period he holds office, holds any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever.” Checks showed  that in the apex court minority judgment in the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the October 2020 governorship election in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede (SAN),against the victory of sitting governor and APC candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), Justices Mary Peter-Odili, Justices Ejembi Eko and Ibrahim Saulawa, in their minority judgments, declared that Akeredolu’s election should have been nullified, while the appellants, (PDP and Jegede)  declared winner of the poll. Justice Eko, further maintained that Buni violated the constitution, when as a sitting governor, still acted as chairman of the APC by submitting Akeredolu’s name to INEC for purposes of the governorship poll.

Will Senator Marafa made good his threat to sue Buni, and throw spanner into the processes that would lead to APC  convention? The answer lies in the belly of time.