Against the backdrop of allegations of tenure elongation plot brought by some party members, the National Caretaker/Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has said that it is only the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) that can determine its tenure.
Speaking to State House correspondents after leading a delegation for a meeting with President Buhari Buhari, the Chairman of the National Caretaker/National Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, who stated this, however, affirmed that the committee is not looking to elongate its tenure as the members are not job seekers.
The committee had been accused by some party members of deliberately delaying convening the national convention of the party because it is allegedly intent on staying in office.
Debunking the allegation, Buni, who is also the governor of Yobe state, said the committee is working with the mandate given to it by the NEC, which he said as the highest decision making of the party, is the only organ that can determine its fate or set the date for its national convention.
He, therefore, dismissed the allegations false, saying: “You are all aware. We have three sitting governors in the committee. And you should know that none of the governors is seeking for a job. Already, we have a job. But we have to sacrifice to ensure that we reposition the party. So, anybody who is thinking that maybe we are job seekers is wrong.
“We are not job seekers. We are here to reposition and reunite our party so that we have a party we can all be proud of. This is our mandate and we are ready to discharge our mandate. That (tenure elongation) is left for NEC of the party to decide. It is not me or caretaker committee to decide. We are operating within the limit of our assignment because NEC of the party said we must rebuild the party bottom-up. So, it is not for us to say that we are extending (tenure).”
Buni expressed optimism that the NEC will meet before the end of the year to work out a proper timetable for the party.
On the 14-day ultimatum given by some party members for committee to step down by some, Buni stated that everyone has the freedom of expression, noting that those who gave the ultimatum are no members of the party’s NEC.
Buni also disclosed that the president has approved new registration of members for the ruling party
Buni said he submitted the timetable for party registration to the president who gave his approval in line with the provision of the constitution of the party.
He said the meeting with the president was purely for consultation in line with the assignment given to the committee by the NEC under the able leadership of President Buhari.
The party boss stated: It’s to consult with him on the process of the membership registration.
“As from today, we are commencing with sensitisation. Thereafter, it will culminate into membership registration across over 119,000 polling units in the country. It is part of our mandate as bestowed on us by the National Executive Committee to rebuild this party bottom up.”
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Arguing for the exercise he read from the party constitution, saying: “In accordance of section 9.4 of the Constitution of the All Progressives Congress (October 2014 as Amended), the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee consulted all stakeholders and have organized for membership registration.
“The said Section 9.4 provides as follows: Register of members shall be compiled and maintained at the Ward Level and be transmitted to the Secretariat of the Party at the Local Government Area, which shall transmit a copy to the State Headquarters, National Secretariat. Provided that the Party shall update its membership records every six months and remit updated copies to appropriate Secretariats.
“Thereafter, it shall be the responsibility of a member to ensure that his or her name is duly entered in the Ward Register.”
Buni said the committee is continuing the reconciliation efforts and are proud of the work done to secure Ondo state for the party and the return of high profile members such as former Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and former National Chairman of the PDP. Senator Barnabas Gemade, to the party.
Also speaking, the governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, explained that the caretaker committee was not bent in remaining in office, citing the example of Buni who he said was making sacrifices combining two posts.
He said that NEC did not, however, give the committee a definite for its assignment.
Bagudu explained: “You may also recall that two days before the caretaker committee was saddled with the responsibility of leading the party, the party lost a serving governor to the opposition.
“So, the chairman (caretaker committee) came at the time when the morale was weak, but the committee worked so hard including the wining of the Ondo State gubernatorial election with the reconciliation of members, and the national executive committee meeting that ushered in the caretaker committee did not give a definite date.
“We are conscious that these assignments will unfold and intervening circumstances across the country have made it more difficult, but certainly they are not people that are seeking for appointments or seeking to stay, particularly the chairman, the sacrifices in Yobe and daunting challenges he faces and he will rather remain there every day.”
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