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Intrigues, confusion continue to dog APC as it wobbles amidst absence of leadership

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There is no doubt that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is at the crossroads as it seemed overwhelmed with crisis from all angles as it battles to meet up with it’s national convention deadline..
Just as the dust raised by the purported sack of the National Chairman of Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) Mai Mala Buni is yet to settle another issue which is very Germaine has cropped up this time from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
The Nigeria’s electoral body, INEC, had rejected a letter of invitation sent by the interim head of the APC, Abubakar Bello, to attend its emergency meeting.

The APC letter dated March 9, was signed by the controversially appointed chairman of the party, Governor Bello of Niger State, requesting the commission’s presence at the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

The INEC, in its response, rejected the invitation on the ground that the letter of invitation was not signed by the dismissed chairman, Mala Buni and the party’s National Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, as required by the law.

“The Commission draws your attention to the fact that the notice for the meeting was not signed by the National Chairman and National Secretary of the CECPC contrary to the provision of the Article 1.1.3 of the Commission’s Regulations and Guidelines for Political Party Operations (2018).

“Furthermore, the APC is reminded of the provision in Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which requires 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 elective office,” the commission noted in the letter.

INEC’s posture seem to be to aggravating the crises in the ruling party and puts the much anticipated March 26 National Convention in doubt

Unless Mr Buni returns to take over the mantle of leadership before the fixed date, the APC may have to extend its convention date again.

In a bit to escape from the possible consequences the party may have retraced its earlier position that the National Chairman of Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) Mai Mala Buni has been removed through the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari. 
The National Youth Leader of the CECPC, Mr Ismail Ahmed, said while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday that Bello took over control of the party in Acting capacity because the chairman was not around.
He stressed that there was nothing wrong with the leadership arrangement within the APC as it had always been the practice for Bello to act in the absence of the Chairman.
He said, “Somebody asks, what is the position of Governor Mai-Mala Buni? I think it’s very simple. I don’t know why this is a complicated process for a lot of people to understand. 
“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 Chairman. It has always been the case, and it has never changed…

“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 the 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, and  
Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. What is the problem? Why is it difficult for people to simply understand that? 
“I just simply don’t understand why people are making this an issue. So Governor Bello is acting with the full authority of the caretaker committee and with the full authority of the stakeholders, and leaders of the party, and with the full consent and knowledge of Governor Mai-Mala Buni. It’s very clear and very simple.
“ If anybody has any issues with any of our decisions, you can take it to court. For now we’re doing it with the full authority and backing of the law. So there is no ambiguity in this. Absolutely none.
The Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, had taken over the office of the National Chairman on Monday.
As a fall out of the sudden change of leadership, the Secretary of the CECPC, Sen John Akpanudoedehe, packed his things out of the office of National Secretary on Tuesday thereby giving room for the speculation that he had resigned in the social media.
Akpanudoedehe debunked media reports about his resignation on Wednesday.

However, amidst  the doubts and speculations which engulfed the leadership of the APC’s CECPC, the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam  Nasir El-Rufai said President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the immediate removal of Buni.

El Rufai also said that the National Secretary, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, was also affected by the Presidential directive.

The Kaduna Governor alleged that the former National Chairman and his people got a court order which they hid to stop the APC National Convention.

El Rufai had said while speaking on Channels Television Politics Today on Wednesday that neither the ousted National Chairman nor the Secretary would return as National officials of the party.

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Ondo Governorship Primaries: APC commends Ododo over peaceful conduct

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has commended Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo for his impressive performance in the just concluded Ondo State Governorship primary election where he served as chairman of the committee.
Special adviser on media to the Governor Ismai Isah in a statement indicated that Governor Ododo received the commendation while presenting the report of the Ondo state APC primary election committee to the party’s national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday.

Receiving the committee’s report from Governor Ododo, Dr. Ganduje congratulated the Governor for a job well done and noted that the party is proud of the performance of the Kogi State Governor for the conduct of the Ondo State Governorship primary election which he noted was the first national assignment of the Governor.

The APC national chairman praised the extraordinary leadership skill and impeccable manner the Kogi State Governor managed the Ondo State APC Governorship primary election, adding that the Collation of results from the 203 wards and the 18 Local Government areas of the state that was viewed live on national television was a rare display of transparency and integrity of the entire election process.

Earlier in his presentation, Governor Ododo thanked the APC National Working Committee for finding him and his committee members worthy of the all important national assignment.

The Governor stated that the committee’s report took cognizance of everything that transpired during the primary election and it contains recommendations that will enable the party to deal with the aftermath of the Ondo State Primary election and ensure that the APC goes into the November governorship election as a united party ready to retain power in Ondo State.

Governor Ododo was accompanied to the presentation of the report by the Secretary to the Committee, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Kogi State APC Chairman, Honourable Abdullahi Bello, House of Representative Member Representing Ajaokuta Federal Constituency, Honourable Abdulrahim Egidi and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barr. Deedat Ozigi Salami, and some of his senior aides.

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Ondo 2024: Emami admonishes Aiyedatiwa to Seek support of aggrieved aspirants

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***Says APC stands to win
with genuine reconciliation

Seek for genuine reconciliation with all the aggrieved aspirants who contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election Chief Ayirimi Emami, has admonished the Ondo State Governor and winner of the party’s ticket in last weekend governorship primary, Lucky Aiyedatiwa,

In the primary election conducted by a team led by Kogi State Governor, Usman Ododo, his colleague, Governor Aiyedatiwa was declared winner having polled 48, 569 in the Direct Primary exercise to defeat all the other 15 aspirants.
Some of the aspirants have since kicked against the outcome of the election, alleging that the Governor Ododo team did not follow the party’s guidelines and laid down procedure
The APC chieftain who congratulated Governor Aiyedatiwa, described his victory at the primary as testament of his impactful governance for the few months he has taken over as governor of Ondo state.
He urged him to broker peace with the aggrieved aspirants, accomodate them in the course of his campaigns for the overall interest of the APC and development of the oil producing state.
While he maintained that Governor Aiyedatiwa posture should be a no victor, no vanquished towards the other aspirants on the outcome of the primary, Chief Emami, said the cooperation of other aspirants would make the Party victory seamless and accelerate the developmental strides being witnessed in the state.
He equally appealed to other aspirants that contested the APC governorship primary to sheathe their sword and support the candidacy of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Some of the contenders for the ticket won by Governor Aiyedatiwa included
senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim; Olusola Oke SAN, former President of Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Francis Faduyile, a mechanical engineer, Dr Funmilayo Waheed-Adekojo and the National Vice Chairman of the APC (South APC (South West), Isaac Kekemeke.

Others were Dr Soji Ehinlanwo, Akinfolarin Samuel, Okunjimi Odimayo, Adewale Akinterinwa, Olugbenga Edema and Brig. Gen. Ohunyeye Olamide (retd), Morayo Lebi, Oladiran Iyatan and Engnr. Ifeoluwa Oyedele.

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Concerned Kano Progressives throw weight behind Ganduje

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***Alerts President Tinubu over Kwankwaso’s scheming to destabilize APC

From Mohammed Abubakar Minjibir

A Kano-based political think-tank, the CONCERNED KANO PROGRESSIVES, {CKP} has vowed to do everything humanly possible to support ongoing efforts of the national Chairman of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to reposition the party and encourage all elected representatives on the platform of the APC to manage the gains of their respective, electoral successes.
Similarly, the KCP, have also vowed to checkmate, what its members, have described as , “the infantile and highly dysfunctional thought-processes being elicited by one-time civilian Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Kwankwaso, in his drift towards political mischief-making against the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu “.
These views, were contained in a Media statement issued to newsmen on Sunday, by the National Coordinator of CKP Alhaji Mohammed Z. Abubakar.
The CKP stated that, “Anybody who knows Alhaji Kwankwaso and his conditioned behaviour towards matters of political socialization processes and mentorship, can attest to his high affinity for not only being domineering, high-handed, self-opinionated but abnormally dictatorial in the way and manner he relates with his peers, eminent political leadership figures and sundry loyal party members.”
The statement explained further that, “Alhaji Kwankwaso, is believing that he has the nationwide capacity to swing the sociology of the voter-behaviour of the larger Nigerian voting electorate come 2027, to actualize his animated ambition of becoming the President of Nigeria.”
The CKP, said that Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s self-inflated ego, is what is perhaps, leading him into nursing the faulty impression-formation disposition that, apart from the entire northern electorate, “voting” massively for him under the NNPP, the social and political rating which President Tinubu presently enjoys, is far below his self-proclaimed social and political stratification rating, which, has given him the pseudo courage to embark on his ongoing secret plans to destabilize the All Progressives Congress by using his NNPP political party platform to achieve his ambition of becoming president of Nigeria in 2027.
According to the CKP spokesman, Alhaji Mohammed Z. Abubakar, “Alhaji Kwankwaso’s hope of executing his plan of action is largely reliant and premised on the funding from his political stooge, the current Governor of Kano State, who will never dare defy the directives of Alhaji Kwankwaso, his father in-law and mentor.
Alhaji Kwankwaso, according to the Progressives, “uses the Kano State Executive Governor, Alhaji Abba Yusuf, as a willing instrument to prosecute his current thinly disguised agenda to blackmail and demonise the APC National Chairman, Alhaji Ganduje, and his party in such a way as to destroy the APC brand before the next general elections in 2027.
The Progressives, have therefore humbly advised President Tinubu and APC members nationwide to be on the alert about the scheming of Alhaji Kwankwaso.

The organisation indicated that, “the unfolding pockets of mischief-making ploys, antics and deviant behavioural traits being orchestrated by the former Governor of Kano State, Dr Kwankwaso and the current NNPP government led by Alhaji Abba Yusuf, to tarnish the good image and reputation of both the ruling APC and its National Chairman, Dr. Ganduje, will fail. “We stand resolutely in solidarity with Dr. Ganduje”, the statement concludes.

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