By Joshua Omoloye, Abuja
The leadership blame game in the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC)ahead of the party’s national convention seems unabated as a group of aspirants on Wednesday in an open letter to President Muhammad Buhari,
expressed confidence in the Governor Mai Mala Buni led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
Signed by Barr. Maxwell Yakubu Gowon on behalf of others, the letter was an apparent reaction to an open letter by the former Director General (DG) of the Progressive Governors‘ Forum (PGF), Salihu Moh. Lukman, to
the President, on Tuesday.
Lukman in his letter, had intimated Buhari of plans to sabotage the scheduled February 26 national convention of APC, referring to Gov Buni’s committee as an “undertaker”, which was not doing enough to show
that it was ready to conduct a free, fair and credible exercise.
The aspirants, under the aegis of the ‘Forum of APC Aspirants for 2022 National Convention’, alleged that the Lukman was tantamount to “undermining the APC at the behest of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP)”.
Barr. Gowon, a contender for the post of National Youth Leader, in the letter said the Buni led convention committee had not done anything to suggest that the aspirants would loose confidence in the process.
The Forum alleged that Lukman is nursing his exit as Director General of PGF but warned him to desist from vilifying Buni.
The body said any genuine member of APC shouldn’t have negatively interpreted suggestion by Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, chairman of National Reconciliatory Committee that the national convention be shifted to
allow for full reconciliation in state chapters of APC.
“Incidentally, Lukman is neither an aspirant nor a candidate of our party for the Convention and for any election in the future. In fact, the shady details about his forced exit from his most recent position was about how he was undermining the APC at the behest of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)”, the Forum said.
The aspirants commended the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), under the leadership of Gov. Buni for working tirelessly to resolve some of the crisis in the party.
“Contrary to the lies that the likes of Lukman have promoted about the current leadership of the party, Forum of APC Aspirants for 2022 National Convention is pleased to assert that H.E. Buni’s CEPCP is a major reason we still have confidence that the party can still be healed and repositioned in time for it to excel in the 2023 elections.
“The CEPCP Chairman performed creditably in the way he has handled preparations for the convention by consulting with aspirants before key decisions are taken.
“Results of his administrative and reconciliatory efforts include the stability that has returned to the state chapters as manifested by last week’s swearing-in of state chairmen and the subsequent inauguration of state excos across the 36 states of the federation.
“A hurried national convention would have denied the party this opportunity of rebuilding itself up from the base and this is what those that are keen on destroying the APC want to prevent”, the letter read in
part”.
The Forum, therefore, called on President Buhari to “pass a vote of confidence in His Excellency Mai Mala Buni-CEPCP’s ability to organize the National Convention that will usher in a new dawn for the APC. This expression of confidence in the Committee will re-assure us that we are in a party of rule of law and internal democracy”.
