By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
A group of All Progressives Congress (APC) members, under the auspices of Concerned APC Stakeholders, yesterday asked the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe to resign with immediate effect for failing to meet target set for it by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
The group also called on President Mohammadu Buhari to apply relevant clauses in the party’s Statutes to dissolve the Committee forthwith, noting that the CECPC led by Governor Mai Mala Buni has demonstrated a clear lack of direction to steer APC to the desired success.
Leader of the group, Ayo Oyalowo said the Committee has failed to deliver on its mandate, having conducted the worst ward, LGA and State congresses which they alleged has further divided and polarized the party.
It noted the exigency of the CECPC at the time it was set up as a stopgap measure to address the problem the party faced at the time, even as it regreted that the Committee has outlived its usefulness, and created more problems than it aimed to solve.
They claimed that rather than focus on the clear mandate given to it to conduct a convention for the ruling party, he said the Mai Buni Committee went on a jolly ride, setting up Committees to carry out the very function it was set to achieve under.
The Stakeholders group believes the party needs an all-inclusive NWC to rally members for the task ahead and called for the constitution of a one-purpose Committee to conduct the national convention.
“The Concerned APC Stakeholders is calling for the immediate resignation of the Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee for their glaring failures in managing the affairs of the party; failure of which the Committee should be immediately dissolved and a new committee whose task will be to immediately conduct the National Convention of the party be constituted.
“In the same vein, we are calling on all concerned members of the party across the country, and particularly our leaders, to join hands and ensure that we elect a National Working Committee that will truly represent the interest and aspirations of genuine APC members” the Stakeholders charged.
According to the Stakeholders, the CECPC has failed to justify the confidence of members. The group noted that rather than respond positively to the earlier call of the group, Oyalowo regretted that Buni declared them persona non grata and barred them from entering the APC national Secretariat.
They also disclosed that their grievances have already been communicated to leading figures of the APC, including
President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and a national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, where they drew attention to some of the party leaders about happenings in the party.
“While we acknowledge the wisdom behind the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the APC to institute the novel idea of the Caretaker Committee as a stop-gap solution to the problems the party was grappling with, it has become obvious to all discerning party men and women that the CECPC cannot fix the problems it met on ground. If anything, the Caretaker Committee has created even more problems for the party than it was meant to resolve.
“For a start, the Caretaker Committee which was constituted primarily to stabilize the party and organize the congresses and convention of the party went about functioning as if it was the National Working Committee, and as a result carrying out responsibilities it has no mandate for.
“Apart from embarking on a needless party membership revalidation/registration that didn’t come with anything new, the Caretaker Committee went about constituting endless committees to carry out the very responsibilities it was assigned to do”, the group said.
