APC ignores Keyamo’s legal advice, insists on holding Nationwide Ward Congress July 31

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has ignored the legal advice of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo SAN, on the legal implications on conducting any election under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, National Chairman of APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC). Keyamo had cautioned that the only saviour APC had in the Supreme Court judgement on the Ondo State governorship election was that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede, did not join Governor Buni as a party to the appeal petition. He noted that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu narrowly won that case on technical grounds, otherwise, APC would have lost Ondo to the PDP. Keyamo maintained that the detected technical flaw is now available for any aggrieved APC member to challenge the leadership of the party by Governor Buni in conducting any election.

APC National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, in a statement maintained that the party’s nationwide ward congress for the election of APC executives will be held as scheduled on Saturday, July 31, 2021.

Akpanudoedehe maintained that APC Ward Congress Committees have been inaugurated already and issued the mandate of the responsibility of conducting, supervising, and monitoring the scheduled Ward Congresses.

The Interim National Secretary indicated that the clarification has become necessary because of personal opinions expressed by some party members on the legal status of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) led by Governor Buni and its capacity to conduct the Congresses.

Akpanudoedehe had declared: “While it is not our intention to join issues with these commentators, the Supreme Court’s Wednesday judgement affirming the Election victory of the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), had no bearing on the CECPC’s status and its membership.

“Party members and aspirants should, therefore, come out en masse and peacefully to participate in the ward Congresses, come Saturday.”