The All Progressives Congress A(PC), has said its National convention scheduled for March 26,2022 is proceeding as planned, saying relevant notices was given to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party also clarified that Gov Mai Mala Buni, remains the chair of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee {CECPC), adding that the Acting Chairman, Gov. Sani Bello is acting with the full authority of the chairman of the CECPC.
Mallam Ismaeel Ahmed, Member of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC and APC National Youth leader, who briefed journalists on developments, explained that appropriate notice was given to INEC at the initial date of February 26.
“We served that notice on the 5th of February and that was the required 21 days. If you are going to make any adjustment to that date all you need is a letter, making an adjustment to the date. You don’t need another 21 days and that letter was since written about two weeks ago, when we realized that we couldn’t hold it on the 26th of February.
“The moment, the CECPC agreed on the 26th of March, that letter was written to INEC, INEC has accepted that letter. So that is long gone it is not an issue. The issue of the date of convention is not in question, not in INEC, not certainly with us. That is settled It is sacrosanct that 26th of March and we have comply with all the rules and we have notified INEC as appropriately expected for us to do that. So that’s no longer an issue”.
Clarifying issues around the leadership of the CECPC Mallam Ismaeel noted that Mai Mala Buni, the Chairman of the party properly transmitted a letter to the the Acting Chairman, Gov Sani Bello, copy of which is copied INEC.
According to him the Acting Chairman has always deputized for Buni in his absence, noting he has a medical emergency that cannot wait for the convention and a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy.
“I don’t know why this is a complicated process for a lot of people to understand. when ever since the inception of this CECPC on June, 25 2020 whenever the chairman is not around and Governor Sani Bello is around, he acts on behalf of the acting Chairman. It has always been the case that has never changed. It has always been the case.
“And now we have a convention on the 26th of March, the chairman wrote a letter and transmitting, for his leave to go for medical treatment. These are two emergencies. He has a medical emergency that cannot wait for convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy.
“So one has to leave for other, the Chairman left, transmitted a letter, Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. What is the problem? Why is it? Why is it difficult for people to simply understand that” he queried.
He said the CECPC has streamlined functions ahead of the convention for easy monitoring adding that among others he (Ismaeel)would be handling the party’s publicity.
“The caretaker committee also aware of the enormous activities leading to the national convention has directed all its members to work full time in the secretariat. Roles and responsibilities have also been assigned specifically to members of the caretaker committee to supervise directorates. This is to ensure speedy execution and seamless relationship between the party and directorates.
“I have been assigned to supervise the publicity directorate. Prof. Tahir Mamman will supervise the legal directorate; Stella Okutete and Sen. Abubakar Yusuf are in charge of organizing; James Lalu and David Lion are in charge of finance; and Sen. Nnamani will oversee strategy” .
Speaking on leaked INEC rejecting the communication from Gov Sani Bello and Tahir Mamman about the proposed March 17 NEC of the party, Mallam Ismaeel said the Prof Tahir Mamman would address the issue at the appropriate time.
He however explained that the 17 March NEC meeting was meant to ratify the March 26 convention and to update the members of NEC on the details of the exercise.
Uche Nwosu is a two time Shell Petroleum PLC award winner in the year 2000;
He won the Shell Award on Investigative Journalism and Environmental Cleanliness.
