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Why Buhari Removed Buni – El-Rufai

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has provided insight into how the ruling party carried out the palace coup that removed the Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, on Monday.

Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Wednesday,, El-rufai said the governors of the All Progressives Congress discovered a grand conspiracy between the lawyers of Buni and some people he described as fifth columnists to postpone the national convention of the party through a court injunction.

According to El-Rufai, when the governors discovered the move against the convention, they quickly ran to inform President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday who ordered the immediate removal of Buni.

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The president subsequently ordered the installment of Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State as the acting chairman before going overseas for medical treatment.

According to the Kaduna State governor, the plan was to postpone the convention till May which coincides with the deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission for all political parties to conduct their presidential primaries.

THE WHISTLER had reported that Buni’s plan was to hold the party’s presidential primary and national convention on the same day.

Buni is said to be interested in the presidency and was the source of the plot to return former president, Goodluck Jonathan, to Aso Rock on the platform of the APC.

Among other plans injurious to the party, El-Rufai further alleged that the court injunction procured by Buni’s associates, which was obtained in November last year, was never challenged by Buni. Rather, Buni’s lawyers agreed with the position of those who instituted the suit.

“We got to know of a court order last year. It was obtained in November. A member of the party went to court to say there must not be a convention until his case against the party is disposed of which can take months or years and the lawyers of Buni went to court and agreed with the person and nobody knew about this order,” he explained.

According to him, “It was a hidden nuclear weapon to destroy the convention which further made us believe that there are fifth columnists in the party that want to bring this party down because if we don’t have (convention) and we go ahead with the primaries we might likely have our candidates lose all their seats as the case in Zamfara.

“We reported to the President that no action had been taken on the order. He said the Niger state governor must take over on Monday and we should use whatever legal means necessary to make sure that the convention is delivered.”

On the division in the Progressive Governors’ Forum, El-Rufai said that at least 19 out of the 22 APC governors as well as the President were firmly behind Bello as the new caretaker chairman of the party.

He said there were about two governors who were still backing Buni, adding that they were the ones sponsoring fake news.

“Bello has the President’s full backing and the backing of at least 19 of the 23 progressive governors and deputy governors. There are some governors not fully on board and are the ones planting fake stories. Since Monday he took over, we have substantial progress,” said the governor.

El-Rufai further revealed that the President had signed off on some recommendations including the issue of zoning before jetting out of the country.

Despite this, he alleged that the Secretary of the caretaker committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, refused to take instructions from Governor Bello who is the acting chairman.

The governor said Akpanudoedehe, who has continued to issue statements insisting that Buni remained chairman, would be dealt with at the appropriate time.

“I can assure you that even when he (Buni) returns to the country, he will handle no position. The National Secretary, I believe, the CECPC has taken action against him already. The CECPC has taken a decision on him. The CECPC will explain this decision in due time.”

While adding that the governors of the party will meet next week, he said the governors have all relocated to Abuja to prepare for the convention.

In a short statement issued to counter El-Rufai’s claim sent to THE WHISTLER, the secretary of the party, Mr John Akpanudoedehe denied the allegations describing the action of the APC governors as treacherous.

He accused the governors of stabbing Buni in the back because he was out of the country on medical treatment and was not in a position to defend himself.

While dismissing El-Rufai’s threat to remove him, he warned that no man should elevate himself above God, wondering why El-Rufai would be attacking Buni in such manner despite the lofty achievements he had attained in the party since 2020 that he took over.

While arguing that every decision Buni took was backed by the governors, he said, “The only advantage they have is that they can smooth-talk. Buni does not talk much. Why didn’t they refuse when the party handed the structures to the governors? Why did they not come to the national secretariat then to complain?

“Now almost all the states the governors are controlling are in court seeking that the convention should be stopped because they need to settle their cases, that is not my concern but I want you to close your eyes and see a brother of yours lying on a sick bed being operated upon and you see your fellow governors holding knife and stabbed you on your bed you would understand the kind of person these people are.

“It is like the case of Caesar and Brutus. After working so hard for the party, they stuck their knives in him. If you have love, why did you take the issue to the President?

“Their aim was to paint him black before the President. They know this President loves Buni. This is the only person that is loyal to the President. None of them loves the President like Buni.

“They are agents of destruction, Nigerians should disregard these people. They are playing to the gallery.”

abubakar belloAPCMai-Mala BuniMUHAMMADU BUHARINasir El-Rufai
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