Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have thrown weight behind Yobe State Governor and Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee Mai-Mala Buni, amidst calls for his removal.
Sequel the last week’s Supreme Court Judgement that upheld the election of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as Governor of Ondo State, there have been agitations for the removal of Buni as APC Caretaker Chairman in arguments that if joined in such a case it will be detrimental to the party.
But reacting to the judgement, APC to the judgment, his colleagues in the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) said the judgement has settled the legality of the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.
PGF in a statement by its Chairman and Governor of Kebbi State, Abubakar Atiku-Bagudu maintained that the apex court ruling is in line with section 13.3 of the APC Constitution, that the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee was constituted by the National Executive Council of the APC to act as the National Working Committee.
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According to the statement, the judgement is consistent with the legal advice available to APC in creating the Committee and commended the Party’s legal team for the proper and lawful guidance.
“On Wednesday, July 28, 2021, the Supreme Court of Nigeria pronounced its split decision on the Appeal and Counter Appeals before it in the judgement of Ondo Gubernatorial Election petition, with the written judgement to be delivered afterwards. The Court released the written judgement on Wednesday, August 4, 2021.
“Before the release of the written judgement, a lot of analysis and interpretations had been made, with some clearly mischievous. The early release of the written judgement had availed the public with the judgement of the court, which settled issues conclusively.
“We thank the Supreme Court for this landmark judgement, which among others have dealt conclusively with the legality of the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, its composition and all its decisions. The Supreme Court upheld the finding of the Court of Appeal that the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee was set up to act on behalf of the National Executive Committee to temporarily carry out the function of the National Working Committee until new members were democratically elected.”
“The Supreme Court upheld further the ruling of the Court of Appeal that it is evident that the said Governor Mai Mala Buni was appointed only in an acting capacity to temporarily carry out and fill in the seat of the National Chairman of the party pending the elections of new members”, the statement read.
Consequently, the Caretaker Committee has called on all APC members who have sued the party to withdraw their cases and use the mechanism of reconciliation to address their grievances.
A member of the Committee, Tahir Mamman (SAN), at a Press Conference in Abuja on Thursday also advised members to focus on ail upcoming Congresses, ensure unity and harmony in the party.
While asking the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to focus on the logs in its eyes and leave the APC alone, Mamman said: “The court (Supreme) stated that the NEC under Art. 13 (3) IV of the APC constitution has the power to create, elect and appoint a committee and endow it with powers and functions.
“It drew a parallel with Art 33(3) of PDP constitution (2012) with similar powers granted to its National Convention which in turn appointed a National Caretaker in 2016, which the Supreme Court ruled legal in Sheriff VS PDP”.
