PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, gave the go ahead for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to hold its national convention in February 2022 to elect national executive officers.
Briefing State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF, and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, said the issue of the national convention which was the outcome of last weekend’s meeting of the Progressives Governors, was tabled before President Buhari who he said graciously gave the party the nod to hold the convention next February.
Bagudu, who was flanked by the Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, and Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State, said the date of the convention would be announced after meeting with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
He said: “Yesterday (Sunday), November 21, the Progressive Governors Forum met and as some of you may have seen in press reports, I spoke after the meeting, where, in addition to congratulating and thanking the caretaker committee for a wonderful job of their leadership of the party, I thanked Mr. President for supporting them to deliver on their mandate.
I also explained that the progressive governors forum discussed the issue of national convention of the party and they mandated us to come and discuss with the President, as party leader, to give the inputs of the governors so that the party and the President will consider in agreeing a date for the national convention.”
He also said that four states, due to logistics problem, were yet to hold their state congresses expressing the hope that between now and January 2022, the states would have concluded their congresses ahead of the February 2022 convention.
He continued: “Yesterday, part of the inputs we got was that we still have four states, which are in the process of completing their congresses – Anambra, understandably, because of the election, Zamfara and two others that because of logistic challenges are yet to complete, and then Christmas is around the corner, and then early January will be very busy with Ekiti.”
He further said that flowing from that, the party proposed the February date to the President which was graciously approved.
He said: “The governors, based on all that, made an input that we think the party and the President might graciously consider February and President is favourably disposed and I’m sure the party, because the Chairman of the caretaker committee was part of the delegation, he heard that and I’m sure they will conclude between him and the President. But we have made the input of the governors known. It was favourably considered by Mr. President.”
Also speaking, Chairman of the CECPC, Buni, assured that all stakeholders of the party would be involved in choosing a particular date in February for the convention.
According to him, wider consultations will be made among stakeholders before picking a particular date in February.
His words: “We have to consult widely and part of the reasons even the governors met yesterday, 20 of the 22 governors attended. So, it is in consultation to that effect. So, it is a well consulted, and thought out plan.
“We will let you know, we have to work on a timetable. We have to communicate it to our various state chapters for them to be ready for the convention. Like the PGF chairman said, they have suggested to the party and Mr. President has concurred so we are going ahead to plan for the convention in February.”
Asked to comment on the allegation that he would want to remain as the Chairman of the party, he said he would be glad to return to his state as a full-time governor saying he is not a jobless person but only carrying out an ad-hoc duty as APC caretaker Chairman.
He declared: “Am I a jobless person, who is always trying to extend his tenure? To do what? I have my primary responsibility as a governor to go back to my state and carry out my primary responsibility. What I’m here to do is adhoc, and of course, to reposition the party, and that is exactly what we’re able to achieve.”
Govs pass confidence vote on Buni, say party won’t implode
Meanwhile, amid the battle to oust the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC, the Yobe State Governor, on Sunday night got a soft landing from his colleagues who passed a vote of confidence on him.
Governors of the party under the aegis of Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF had on Sunday night met in Abuja to deliberate on the way forward, especially with regards to the party’s planned national convention.
IbomInkNews
0 Comments