APC ignores legality crisis over Buni’s leadership, fixes LG congress for September

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to ignore the controversies over the legality of Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, of the party while holding executive office of the Yobe State governor simultaneously. The controversies were sparked off from the judgement of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on the Ondo State governorship election won by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC, which was challenged by Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Governor Akeredolu escaped losing the case on the Supreme Court excuse that Jegede did not join Governor Buni in the suit.

The APC Caretaker Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) at the weekend unveiled the timetable for the Local Government Congresses scheduled for September 2021.

The CECPC Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, debunked reports the Caretaker Committee has indefinitely suspended the local government and state congresses, saying that the local government congress holds in the first week of September.

Akpanudoedehe, accordingly, declared: “The CECPC has tentatively fixed LGA Congresses for the first week of September 2021.”

Akpanudoedehe further highlighted that at the time of the inauguration of Ward Congress Appeal Committees on Wednesday “the official information from the party was that dates and guidelines for the LGA Congresses will be fixed after the conclusion of the Ward Congresses Appeal exercise followed by due consideration of the Appeal Committee’s reports by the CECPC.”

He stated that on behalf of the CECPC Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni, the committee assured the teeming party supporters, members, and leaders of unflinching commitment to credible, transparent, and participatory congresses leading to the National Convention of the party.

APC held the Ward Congress across the country on July 31 in 33 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while the party suspended the ward congress in Anambra, Bayelsa and Zamfara states.

Petitions from 14 of the 33 states where the APC ward congress held were already registered at the APC national secretariat, Abuja, at the time of the inauguration of the Ward Congress Appeal Committees last Wednesday. Reports from 12 were being awaited at the time of the inauguration. Few states had resolved their impasse and did not send petitions to the national leadership.