Police Seal Off APC Office As Buni Vows To Welcome All

Governor Mai Mala Buni, Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) on Wednesday said APC is a party for all and will continue to act on its words.

Buni spoke in Abuja while inaugurating the party’s Appeal Committees for its recently conducted Ward Congresses.

Meanwhile, in another development, Enugu State Police Command sealed off APC office in Enugu to maintain peace and order in the party and the state.

Buni, who was represented at the event by Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, the Secretary APC CECPC, noted that the Congresses to produce the party’s organs across the country started on July 31 and went substantially well.

“However, it is expected that wherever and whenever there is a competition, of course, there is bound to be contestations,” he said.

Akpanudoedehe said that as an organisation based on rules and procedures, avenues and channels must be provided for party members who were dissatisfied with the processes.

He said that such channels were critical for members to ventilate their grievances through an internal mechanism, adding that the Wards Congresses Appeals Committee was inaugurated for this purpose.

“This party is for all Nigerians, therefore we must show, not only by words, but by concrete actions that there’s no attempt to exclude or sideline anybody in the course of the exercise.

“This is very fundamental, not only to the CECPC, but to the preservation of the very essence of the party.

“Your actions in this wise will help engender cohesion, build trust and confidence in this all important exercise.

“Today, you have been entrusted with one of the most solemn obligations of citizenship, which is to help deepen our democratisation processes and strengthen the polity,” he said to the committee members.

Akpanudoehede said members of the committee were carefully selected based on their proven records.

He said that the party trusted in its strength of character, integrity and capacity to be fair in their dealings to those who would approach them as members of the committee.

He reminded all APC members to see the party as one big family, saying that differences should be handled with the understanding that no dispute was worth the destruction of the house that was jointly erected.

Buni, while wishing members of the committee the best, said the party’s guidelines for the exercise and its Constitution shall be their guide.

“The terms of reference shall be made available hereafter,” he said.

He, however, noted that in the past days, the media space had been filled with negative commentaries on the Supreme Court judgment on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Eyitayo Jegede and Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of the APC, in the last Ondo State governorship election.

He said this was especially by persons who should know better, but were coming out with very malicious and self-serving opinions just to play on the gullibility of the public.

He said such persons forgot that the APC was made up of intelligent, sound and intellectually proficient persons who had seen beneath their grandstanding.

“The majority judgment of the Supreme Court has strengthened the position of the CECPC and our chairman. The minority judgment serves only for academic purposes, nothing more.

“The Attorney-General of the Federation, who is the chief law officer of the federation has stated that we are on firm ground and advised that we proceed with the processes of the Congresses,”

In Enugu, the party leaders and other loyalists were denied access to the party office following the crack in the leadership.

This followed a vote of no confidence passed in the party’s chairman, Dr Ben Nwoye, by 42 members of State Executive Committee of the APC in Enugu on Wednesday.

The committee had accused Nwoye of insubordination to statutory authorities and wanting to balkanise the party at the state level.

The committee members had told newsmen at a news conference that their decision was taken on grounds of gross misconduct and disregard to Party’s Constitution by the chairman.

The Deputy State Chairman, Mr Gilbert Chukwunta, on behalf of others said that Nwonye had violated the congress guidelines as spelt out by the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party.

Chukwunta was accompanied to the conference by a number of other Executive members notably the State Secretary, Chief Robert Eze, and the State Women Leader, Mrs Oby Nwofor.

Other were State Youth Leader, Mr Joshua Mamah, the State Financial Secretary, Dr Mrs Amaka Adonu, as well as a number of other notable party functionaries.

They stated that the EXCO members had come together to rescue the party from its looming dismemberment should Nwoye remain as Chairman.

The committee presented the communique the 42 members of the State Executive pushing for Nwoye’s removal issued after their meeting.

The communique detailed a number of his actions ranging from his decision to unilaterally inaugurate  ward executives who he hand picked, ignoring those elected by the wards’ delegates.

He said that the inauguration took place even when the results of ward congresses of the party had yet to be ratified by the CECPC.

Chukwwunta said that the ward Congresses held nationwide and were done within set guidelines issued by the national body following the party’s constitution.

He described the exercise in the state as one of the best congresses held nationwide, where all their leaders came together and peacefully elected their ward executives.

“Surprisingly, we saw our Chairman, Ben Nwoye, wake up and swear in people who never contested in the congresses.

‘This was happening even when the results were yet to be ratified by the CECPC, even as the appeals committee is yet to commence its hearing.

‘This you will agree with me is a flagrant disregard of the guidelines and capable of causing rancour within the party.

‘This act can reduce our chances of winning the 2023 governorship elections and winning the state in the Presidential elections,’’ he said.

They also accused Nwoye of attempting to cause disaffection within the party by encouraging party members to take the party to Court.

The state EXCO unanimously moved for his removal and appointed Chukwwunta, the Deputy State Chairman, as Acting Chairman.

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