Omo-Agege Slams Those Calling For Buni’s Removal As APC Chairman

Ovie Omo-Agege, deputy president of the senate, says the occupation of the position of chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker Committee by Mai Mala Buni, governor of Yobe, does not contravene any known law in Nigeria.

Recall that the supreme court had in a split judgment of 4 to 3 on Wednesday, affirmed the election of Rotimi Akeredolu as Ondo governor.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the dissenting judgment by three other justices in the seven-member panel corroborates their stance that Akeredolu’s election is a nullity.

The opposition party said the judgment did not address the action of Buni, who is functioning as the caretaker chairman of the APC, which according to the PDP is against the provision of section 183 of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

Also, Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment, Implored the party to immediately suspend the planned congress as it will be an exercise in futility. He asked the party to sack Buni and anyone holding any executive position on the committee.

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He said this is to avoid legal battles since the competence of Buni to hold the position as chairman has been questioned by the supreme court.

However, Omo-Agege in a Facebook post on Thursday, described those calling for removing of Buni as chairman as mischief maker.

He disclosed that  the apex court’s judgment has no bearing on the party’s caretaker committee.

Omo-Agege who is also a lawyer said: “Mischief makers for obviously nefarious intentions, resort to misinterpret the said judgment vis-a-vis the purport of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as it affects the APC congresses scheduled for Saturday.”

He said the above stated section of the constitution “only bars a governor from holding executive positions like being a minister, or any other executive positions for which he shall be paid for”.

“It does not by any scintilla of imagination, render the appointment of governor Buni as APC caretaker committee chairman incompetent and will not in any way, affect the legality or competence of the APC scheduled congresses,” he said.

He said the court did not consider the issue of the provisions of section 183 of the 1999 constitution, neither did the majority decision make any comments on the competence of Buni as the chairman of the caretaker committee.

“The appeal was dismissed on the ground of competence or lack thereof for the non-joinder of a necessary party to the suit at the lower court,” Omo-Agege said.

“Even if the apex court had considered the provisions of Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution, the majority panel would still have dismissed the appeal.”

He likened Buni’s position to that of Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti governor, who is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.

He said: “Can it be said that a state governor who is the chairman of the governors’ forum of Nigeria is occupying an “executive office”? Can it also be argued that the president cannot be appointed as the chairman of the Africa Union?”

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