The coming days for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are looking gloaming as the plot to cancel the February elective convention of the party has reached an advanced stage.
In response to this plot which some party leaders have described as “treachery”, a group of concerned stakeholders are raising “alarm about the sinister plot of entrenched interests/forces within the Party to scuttle and abort the Party’s national convention scheduled for 26th February, 2022.”
The group while speaking to newsmen after their meeting in Abuja said the aim of the plotters is to “foist upon the Party, the continued stay in office of the Buni led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) leading up to the presidential primaries.”
According to the group of stakeholders which said their identity shouldn’t be disclosed yet, “plans have been concluded to financially induce the newly elected state chairmen of the Party whose inauguration is fixed for 3rd February (and in some cases, cajoled those whose emergence are seriously being challenged in courts) to key into this plot on the grounds of the pending elections in Osun and Ekiti States. It should be noted that the State Chairmen of the Party constitute a very formidable bloc when it comes to political intrigues within the Party with their numerical strength and voting power in the National Executive Committee (NEC).
“Further strategies being deployed by these entrenched and reactionary interests within the CECPC, is to play the numerous judicial challenge card in respect of the pending cases going in various court of law in the country over the congresses that were conducted by the Party in the various States that witnessed the conduct of parallel congresses in virtually all the states. Information making the rounds, is that most of these cases have the tacit support of some elements within CECPC who have suddenly developed sit tight syndrome with the aim of maintaining the Buni led CECPC to conduct both the national convention and the presidential primaries that are months away.”
The group went on to reveal that “the plot also involved using the inability of the Sen. Adamu led reconciliation committee to conclusively complete its assignment as an excuse to make its case and push for the cancellation of the national convention. Feelers have it that the Sen. Adamu reconciliation committee have recorded little success as most of the aggrieved gladiators remain adamant on their demands of either an outright cancellation of the congresses or at best harmonization of the executive structures in the warring States.
“Furthermore, it would be recalled that just some few weeks ago, the Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum Salihu Lukman who has been very vocal and critical of the Buni led CECPC preparedness to conduct the national convention, had resigned his appointment in a not too clear circumstances. Mr. Lukman had before called for the resignation of the Buni led CECPC for its lukewarm attitude towards organizing the national convention as previously agreed with major stakeholders, the Governors of the Party and President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The group went further to call on President Muhammadu Buhari, the Governors and critical stakeholders of the Party to “prevail on the Buni led CECPC to jettison any plans of shifting the national convention in order to perpetuate themselves in office. Rumours have been making the rounds that Buni is scheming to return as the national chairman in the new NEC that is to be elected at the national convention or alternatively a vice presidential slot for himself.
