Politics

APC Crisis: Buni Visits Osinbajo, Explains View on Ward Congresses

Wednesday, August 04, 2021 at 10:23 PM by Jerrywright Ukwu

Governor Mai Mala Buni on Friday, July 30 visited Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa, Abuja
The visit is reportedly part of the governor's last-minute efforts to ensure that he remains as the APC interim national chairman
President Muhammadu Buhari had reportedly asked the vice president to wade into the crisis in the ruling party

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FCT, Abuja - Moving to squash any rumours or misunderstanding on the stance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni on Friday, July 30 dashed to Aso Rock to explain the position of the committee to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Vanguard newspaper reports that Buni’s decision to see Osinbajo was necessitated because rumours were flying around about the fate of the congress which was scheduled the next day, Saturday, July 31.

President Buhari had reportedly asked VP Osinbajo to intervene in the APC crisis. Photo credit: Aso Rock Villa
Source: Facebook

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Buni's last-minute visit to Aso Rock

According to a source quoted in the report, prior to Buni’s visit, there was no communication between the vice president and the Yobe state governor until late Friday night when the APC interim chairman reached out to Osinbajo around midnight.

Addressing rumours that the vice president gave the directives to the minister for justice and Attorney-General of Federation, Abubakar Malami, the source said no such thing happened.

The source said:

“The vice president did not give any directive to anyone after the meeting. The vice president did not order the AGF to stop the congresses, no one was handed such directive.”

A legal perspective on the APC debacle

Meanwhile, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ifedayo Adedibe, on Tuesday, August 3, stated that the APC ignored its own rules and regulations by putting the Buni-led executive in place to head the party.

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Speaking to The Punch newspaper, Adedibe said the constitution of the party expressly forbids any of its officials from holding a political office, adding that by appointing the governor of a state to be its chief executive, the APC acted in a manner that risked its activities being null and void.

Legit.ng had earlier reported that stakeholders of the APC already considering an overhaul of the party’s current leadership structure to avoid a legal booby trap after a Supreme Court verdict questioned the existence of the APC's interim committee.

Accordingly, leaders of the APC have started considering the removal of Buni as the interim chairman of the party.

Apart from Buni, who is the Yobe state governor, his counterparts in Niger and Osun, Sani Bello and Gboyega Oyetola are members of the interim panel.

Minister of state for labour and productivity, Festus Keyamo, SAN had earlier warned the APC of imminent legal tussles if Buni remains the party's caretaker chairman.