Plot for tenure elongation thickens at APC as state chairmen pass vote of confidence in Buni

The All Progressives Congress (APC) may soon return to the trenches as the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee (CENCPC) put in place last June following the ouster of the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led national working committee plots tenure extension for itself.

The APC National Executive Committee (NEC) at a meeting held last June at the Presidential Villa in Abuja dissolved the APC NWC and created an interim team to manage the party national secretariat.

Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, was announced chairman of the Caretaker Committee with a mandate to convene a meeting of the highest organ of the party, the National Convention in December where a new set of substantive national officers would emerge.

A meeting between the Caretaker team and Forum of State Chairmen was held, on Wednesday, in Abuja at the party national secretariat where the latter passed a vote of confidence in the Governor Buni led interim leadership.

A party source revealed to Tribune Online that the confidence vote was a prelude to a meeting of the National Executive Committee in the offing where the stewardship of the Caretaker team would be discussed.

A further check revealed that the Forum of State Chairmen is a power bloc within the APC NEC.

Wednesday meeting with the state chairmen by Governor Buni was to mobilise support ahead of the NEC meeting where certain leaders and governors who were opposed to the dissolution of the Comrade Oshiomhole NWC are already starting to raise questions on the stewardship of the interim leadership.

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At the end of the meeting held yesterday, the Chairman of the Forum of State Chairmen, Alhaji Bukar Dalori, declared that the chairmen across the 36 states chapters were proud of Governor Buni administration of the APC national secretariat.

“We are pleased and proud of what they have achieved so far and have assured the Committee of the support of the entire APC membership across the country.”

The chairmen argued that the caretaker has ensured genuine reconciliation and attributed last weekend victory of the party in Ondo State governorship to the Buni team.

While they endorsed the controversial national membership registration, the chairmen dismissed the group, Concerned All Progressives Congress Members, which had earlier kicked against the proposed exercise as a faceless body not known to the party Constitution.

The statement read in part: ” Of specific note is that the party is getting more united, with more people joining and the last weekend success in Ondo State is a reflection of its successes. “Equally, the plans for new membership registration, in accordance with section 9.4 of our Party Constitution, which provides that a register of members shall be compiled and maintained at the Ward level has met with the approval of Party Members across the country.

“Finally, our attention has been drawn to Social Media stories, allegedly giving an Ultimatum to the CTC. by a group calling themselves “Concerned All Progressives Congress Members.” This is hitherto, an unknown group in the APC and wonder if they are actually ”concerned”, as their name suggests. The APC Chairmen unanimously condemn any attempt to distract efforts of the Caretaker Committee from the commendable work they have been doing.

“The APC has recognisable processes through which members can lodge any legitimate grievance(s). Shadowy Groups, with questionable agenda, can not claim any concern for the party.”