Victor EzejaAs the March 26 National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) approaches, progressive governors forum has unearthed what a grand plot by a few colleagues now known as “non-convention governors” to prevent it from holding.
It was authoritatively gathered Friday night that the internal rift between two camps – APC’s CECPC and the President/ Progressives governors – is getting worse, almost blowing open as the convention date draws closer.
“Pro-convention” governors, Prime Business Africa reliably gathered, now allege that the APC Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) led by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, is working with at least three governors in frantic efforts to ensure that the party convention does not hold on March 26.
Part of the plot, it was learnt, was to use an FCT High Court order secretly obtained on 18 November, 2021 to stall the convention. The court order, as seen by Prime Business Africa on Friday night, stipulates that the APC and the Buni-led caretaker committee can only conduct the convention after the hearing and determination of the substantive suit before Justice Bello Kawu of the FCT Abuja High Court.
This injunction, however, was kept under wraps by “anti-convention” governors, until the “pro-convention” governors discovered it on Friday.
The suit, which joined APC and the Buni-led CECPC as defendants, was filed by Hon. Salisu Umoru.
A reliable source privy to the matter also told Prime Business Africa that the plan by the three “non-convention” governors” was to make the court order open, few days to the national convention and create a confusion that will only put everything on an “uncertain hold.”
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Meanwhile, there are concerns within the ruling party that the internal rift between the caretaker committee in co-hoot with the three (non-convention) governors and the President/ Progressives governors might tear the party apart and guarantee failure in the 2023 elections.
“Nigerians are tired of the APC and its many troubles. May the confusion scatter them for the good of Nigeria. Amen,” a lecturer in one of the leading universities said Saturday morning in response to an exclusive report on the obvious confusion within the party.
An APC chieftain, Salihu Mohammed Lukman had raised concerns, accusing Buni of working with some governors like Yaya Bello of Kogi State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Senator John Akpanudoedehe (CECPC Secretary) and a few other politicians, to sabotage the national convention in order to actualize alleged personal interests.
“The Zoning list approved by Mr President on March 1, 2022 is different from the sign off of February 25. And the zones got different offices. For example, the National Secretary is now in South-West and not South South,” an authoritative source within the APC leadership structure said.
READ ALSO: APC Convention: Caretaker or Undertaker?
According to the source, the President, during the March 1, 2022 meeting with governors only insisted on Senator Abdullahi Adamu from North Central as Chairman and asked the zones to go back and produce other leaders based on the new zoning arrangement.
The president also advised the caretaker committee to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Tuesday March 8. “Up to this moment no circular has been issued by the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee,” the source said.
The APC governors are miffed with the caretaker committee because they believe setting up of zoning committee and convention committees without their input and that of President Muhammadu Buhari is an affront on not only the Presidency but also on the party. Governor Buni, as APC caretaker committee chairman, has announced at least two zoning committees and two convention committees populated by non-convention members (those opposed to the March 26 convention) just to create confusion.
“The Progressive Governors Forum and the Presidency had agreed on the chairmanship and the zoning formula and and no member of the current caretaker committee, including Senator John Akpanudoedehe and Ken Nnamani are in the picture,” the source told Prime Business Africa on Saturday morning.
“Mr President March 1, 2022 spoke of only the Chairman and not the four names in the sign-off of Feb 25.”
Hon. Faruk Aliyu Adamu, who is from the North West,” the source said, “is also not in Mr President’s and Progressive Governors’ card at all, even though Farouk is not a member of the caretaker committee.”
“All that was agreed is that the zones will now populate the offices going to their zones,” the insider said.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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