More Troubles For APC As Faction Insists On Holding National Convention In February

As the date for its National Convention in February remains shrouded in secrecy, a faction opposed to the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led All Progressives Congress, APC, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee has said its February 26 parallel national convention remains sacrosanct.

The faction has formally written to the Buni-led caretaker committee to vacate the national secretariat of the party noting that the executives that will emerge from its convention will take over the secretariat.

The Buni-led Committee has not fixed a definite date for the party’s convention, leaving opposition in the party and critics to accuse the committee of underhand tactics towards predetermined agenda.

The factional Chairman of CECPC, Mr Mustapha Audu, disclosed to newsmen that they had resolved to go ahead with the convention even as he said arrangements would be made public by the end of this January 2022.

Audu said, “We are absolutely going ahead with the convention and February 26 is sacrosanct. We are going ahead with it because there is no reason for us to suspend the convention. There has been series of meetings between us and the DSS and some of the leaders of the party.”

He pointed out that earlier threat to occupy the secretariat after declaribg the Buni-led committee as illegal has jolted the committee to to act.

“’They were not planning to hold any convention in the first place till July/August this year .

“They plan to combine the convention with the party primaries for the presidency,” he alleged.

He noted that, “There were lots of illegalities going on, which have been truncated by our declaration. Our declaration has affected the plans of some of the leaders that don’t have anything good for us.”

He explained that apart from the APC Progressives Youth Mandate, which he leads, writing to occupy the secretariat and audit the Buni-led Caretaker Committee, it had also commenced the audit process.

“The good thing is that Mr. President is aware of what we are doing. In fact, it was the DSS that arranged the meeting to be held between us and Mr. President because they know that what we are doing is critical to the survival of the party.

“It may surprise you to know that the DSS handled us with civility. I could not believe what they said to me. They said so many positive things.

“Incidentally, they told them to break into our houses, pick us up in the middle of the night, detain us for three days and then release us.

“But in their own wisdom, they knew that carrying out their request will mean turning Nigerian youths against the security agencies. The DSS advised us that as long as we are not doing anything violent, asking people to commit crimes, we should proceed with what we are doing.

“They said that since we are fighting for young competent persons to be included in the government, there is nothing wrong with that as far as they are concerned,” he revealed.

Mustapha, an aspirant for the 2019 Kogi State governorship poll, warned that his faction is going ahead with the planned February 26 National Convention, adding that it may still be dependent on the outcome of their meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and the ability of the Buni-led committee to right their wrongs.

He however gave a caveat that, “If the right thing is done, I can request that they call us for dialogue. We want youth inclusiveness and we demanded for 12 out of the 27 national leadership positions. We are asking for vice chairmanship position, two per geopolitical zone.”