APC Crisis: Buni, Bello Meet Face To Face, Agree To Work Together

The two contending camps hitherto laying claims to the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, met face to face for the first time since the outbreak of the leadership crisis.

Mai Mala Buni and Abubakar Sani Bello have agreed to work together for the common good of the party.

In a meeting which ended this evening, the Yobe State governor, who’s the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman and his Niger State counterpart, who acted in his absence, jointly spoke to newsmen at the Yobe State governor’s lodge after series of press statements in the day had cast the party as thrown into confusion.

Buni returned from medical trip from abroad while Bello had acted in his absence.

While it was reported that Buni had been sacked by President Muhammadu Buhari, Bello tried to assert control but finally gave way after Buhari made a U-turn and urged everyone to recognise Buni’s leadership.

Buni who received some members of the CECPC led by Bello said, “Since I travelled the party has not stopped. His Excellency (Bello) has done very well in managing the affairs of the party.  

“We are here to discuss the issues going forward. We are now at the finishing line in the preparations for our national convention which is at hand on March 26. 

“We are putting heads together to achieve this task ahead. I want to emphasise that the March 26 national convention is sacrosanct,” he said.

On Akpanudoedehe’s absence at the meeting,  he said, “You know that this is not a formal meeting of the committee. These members of the CECPC just came to welcome me back to the country and wish me well after returning from a medical trip outside the country.

“So, it is not a formal meeting that one will ask whether the secretary is here or not. However, he was in my house earlier today.”

On his part, Bello said, “For the past one week, I have been acting as the chairman of CECPC and what I can tell you is that we made lots of progress towards our convention like we saw in the inauguration of the State Chairmen, adopted some of the zoning formula, and some of the decisions of the CECPC taken before he left the country. 

“I can tell you for free that in the last one week, we have ensured that we are good to go for convention.”