Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state and chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has postponed the party’s February 26 national convention, indefinitely.
The CECPC has instead notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its decision to conduct zonal congresses in March.
Some reports claimed that President Buhari, who just returned from the EU-AU Summit in Brussels, Belgium approved postponement.
The convention committee met Sunday night to seal the postponement, a not-so-popular decision among party members, which wanted the party to keep the date sacrosanct.
The APC has not held a convention since June 2018, when the Oshiomhole executive was elected.
The convention committee had cited logistical issues among the compelling reasons for the postponement.
But a top party member punctured the reason as shallow because the convention venue has been secured and all that is needed is for the state chapters to bus in convention delegates.
However, the Buni-led caretaker committee may be hanging on the straw provided by the so-called Forum of Aspirants for the convention.
It wrote the CECPC, saying the February 26 date is no longer feasible and should be postponed.
The ‘Forum of Aspirants for 2022 National Convention’, in the letter urged Gov. Buni to “critically examine the various agitations in different states of the country”, adding that, “the feelers are not pleasant, and with the benefit of hindsight, it would indeed spell doom if the party goes ahead with the national convention under such circumstances”.
The letter was signed by Barr. Maxwell Yakubu Gowon, an aspirant for national youth leader and Chairman of all aspirants forum, and Mohammed Bala Mohammed, aspirant for national secretary who also doubles as Secretary for the Forum.
The forum faulted the Senator Abdullahi Adamu’s reconciliation committee report, which it described as worsening the situation in the party, rather than proffering solutions.
“The issues you have strived to resolve are still looking at us in the face, and it is common knowledge that all is not entirely well in the party.
“We know that issues such as this are commonplace. However, it is our opinion that it would spell doom for the party should the party go ahead with the national convention now. We are concerned about the party’s future, and it would be detrimental if we do not bring to your notice the dangers of going ahead with the national convention.
“In case you might not be aware, the Abdullahi Adamu led Reconciliation Committee did not help matters in the task assigned to it. Instead, it further complicated the issues at stake by refusing to look at issues holistically but instead relied on rumours and hearsays in coming to a conclusion in its report.
“The implication of the above statement is that those who were meant to be reconciled ended up infuriated by the actions of the reconciliatory committee. The signs in this regard are evident for every well-meaning member of the APC to see. But they have elected in their wisdom to downplay these contentious issues in the report submitted”.
