APC Caretaker Committee Chairmanship: INEC considers Sani illegitimate

The APC might have kicked out its caretaker committee chairman Gov Mala Buni thanks to 19 governors’ support and President Muhammadu Buhari’s nod. But INEC says it’s not recognizing the acting chairman Gov Sani Bello.

Governor Sani Bello had on Wednesday written INEC in his capacity as the acting national chairman of the APC’s Caretaker Committee. He invited the commission to their National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for next week Thursday via zoom.

INEC alleged the letter from the APC indicating a change of guard from Buni to Sani Bello was problematic.

“Yes, there was a letter from the APC, which the commission replied because there were legal issues…They did not do the right thing,” one of the officials of the electoral body said,” the Daily Trust quoted a source as saying.

The commission in the reply reminded the APC that it was only the national chairman and national secretary of the party that could write such a letter.

The Electoral Act 2022 in Article 82 (1) stated: Every registered political party shall give the commission at least 21 days’ notice of any convention, congress, conference or meeting convened for the purpose of “merger” and electing members of its executive committees, other governing bodies or nominating candidates for any of the elective offices specified under this Act.