In the last two weeks or more, the All Progressives Congress party members in a bid to hold onto power, secure their political future and remain relevant in the political space, created a scenario that made the ruling party look like a family about to hit the rock anytime soon.
In each instance of heating up the party and committing what many described as a political coup, APC politicians patiently waited for when an opportunity will present itself for them to unleash their venom on the leadership of the party.
Issues however seemed to have boiled over two weeks ago when security personnel literally took over the party’s national secretariat to forestall security breach as Niger state governor Abubakar Bello and his supporters took over the affairs of the Caretaker Committee that was being led by the Yobe state governor Mai Mala Buni who was on a medical leave abroad.
The Kaduna state governor who seems to be a supporter of the takeover said that the move has President Muhammadu Buhari’s backing and he ordered them to give governor Abubakar Bello the needed support to see that the party’s national congress was realized.
If this assertion is true, then it can be reasoned that the unconstitutional and illegal process by which the Niger state governor, Abubakar Bello wanted to take over power handed over by Buni before going on medical leave may have the support of some party big wigs.
In these instances, however, the party never unravelled even after many toes were marched on.
The question is if President Buhari sanctioned Abubakar Bello as stated by Governor El-Rufai, why has the president reversed himself as he is now reported to be rooting for the Mai Mala Buni led committee? Is the President afraid of INEC’s hammer on the party or has anti-Tinubu elements convinced the president on the Asiwaju’s candidacy?
The party bigwigs took the battle to London where President Buhari went for his medical leave and after much deliberations, the Buni led caretaker committee was asked to return and carry on with their mandate to deliver the party’s national convention on March 26th.
Mai Mala Buni led committee was used to end the Oshiomole era loyal to Tinubu, does their return portend evil days for the Asiwaju?
Apparently, the party is confronted with a series of crises both at the grassroots and national levels. The back and forth movement of the Mai Mala Buni led Caretaker Committee to conduct the party’s national convention has remained a major factor of concern responsible for the war brewing within the party. Some party stalwarts are accusing the caretaker committee of deliberately foot-dragging in order not to conduct the party’s national convention.
The question is, does the Caretaker Committee headed by Mai Mala Buni conform with the APC’s constitution. Indeed, is the Buni committee a child of the doctrine of necessity and can it legally conduct binding activities in APC as a party?
If the answer is yes, then it becomes clear that some APC party members have openly shown that they have unguided personal interests and plans that are not in conformity with the party’s principles.
The Electoral Act 2022 has given political parties a compass on how political parties conduct their affairs. With the red flag raised by INEC to the letter transmitted by APC to the commission sighting section 82 subsection 3 of the Electoral Act 2022 which states that any letter to be transmitted to the commission must be duly signed by the chairman and secretary of the party and for any reason, there is a change in the governance structure of the party, the commission must be informed and given 21 days’ notice. This shows that APC is yet to take in the new powers of INEC and the need to stick to the letters of the new act.
President Muhammadu Buhari calls for calm in the party in the conduct of the party’s national convention, events in the next few weeks will determine the trajectory that may make or mar the fortune and future of the APC ahead of the 2023 general elections.