Buhari, Associates Perfect Succession Agenda From London

Key associates of President Muhammadu Buhari are gathering in London this weekend to remove the knots in the president’s succession agenda ahead of the scheduled Thursday National Executive Committee, NEC meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

The NEC meeting, according to party sources, is expected to ratify the removal of Governor Mai Buni as chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC). In his place, Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger State would be formally appointed to lead the party into the expected National Convention scheduled for March 26. That convention will produce a new National Working Committee, NWC coloured in Buhari’s image that is expected to project the Buhari succession agenda.

Unlike in the past when National Party leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu nominated persons and chairmen of the NWC, it was gathered that this time he may not have that opportunity given what a presidential source said the fact that he has now become an aspirant.

Meanwhile, the expectation of an NWC in Buhari’s image was at the weekend being challenged on two fronts with the rejection by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC of the new party leadership headed by Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello. Besides, rebellion was brewing against Buhari’s nomination of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as substantive chairman of the party.

Reflective of the pressure on President Buhari to drop his endorsement of Adamu as national chairman of the APC, the putative chairman’s rivals who had folded camp after the presidential endorsement were at the weekend rolling up their sleeves for renewed battle.

Among those alleged to be visiting or planning a visit to London was Governor Buni who according to multiple sources has transformed from a star boy before the president into a villain.

A source in London was not able to confirm the arrival of the governor in London where he is expected to explain his recent actions to the president.

The governor a source said yesterday, has been declared a persona non grata around the president following the schemes he was alleged to have played in trying to frustrate the convention.

“It is particularly painful for the president given the role the president played in picking him up and making him national secretary of the party and then governor of Yobe,” a source said as he noted that he was once seen as Buhari’s favoured boy.

“Buni changed completely in the last few weeks. You can see that all those who used to be around him, those who steadied him in power left him as he now started listening to only three governors.”

Saturday Vanguard that the three governors include one each from the Southeast, Southwest and Northcentral reset his perspectives leading to the dithering procrastination on the convention date.

A top party source, however, debunked insinuations that the Buni led committee was against holding a NEC meeting saying that the CECPC had written the president on the proposal for the NEC meeting to hold on Tuesday 15th March.

While the NEC is expected to now proceed on Thursday with one of the key aims being the replacement of Buni with Sani-Bello, Saturday Vanguard gathered authoritatively that pressure is mounting on Buhari to reverse the endorsement of Senator Adamu for the position of national chairman.

Adamu it was gathered was brought to Buhari by Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South and that the recommendation was followed up by Senate President Ahmad Lawan. One of the key selling points was the role he played in defending the president in the Senator Bukola Saraki led Senate.

“We can say that the role he played in fighting Saraki on behalf of Buhari was what won him serious commendation,” a source privy to the development said.

“You know he was almost suspended from the Senate because of the positions he took in supporting Buhari in Saraki’s Senate,” the source added.

Buhari was also believed to have been further won over by his reputation as one who cannot be pushed over by governors.

Saturday Vanguard reports that Buhari was said to have brushed aside the opposition by several governors at a meeting two weeks ago as he insisted that he had made his choice.

However, it was learnt at the weekend that the opposition to Adamu may have been taken to a higher level with elements from the old Congress for Progressive Change, CPC coming into the fray to oppose the emergence of the former Nasarawa State governor as APC chairman.

The former CPC adherents are alleging that, Adamu who was a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and supporter of third term cannot fit in as chairman of the APC.

That sentiment was also expressed yesterday by a group, Alliance of Northern Progressive Youths (ANPY) which said that the APC cannot entrust its fortunes to those who fought democracy in its formative years in the country.

The group’s Director, Gender and Governance, Ms Amina Wakawa, without mentioning Adamu by name said:

“We believe President Muhammadu Buhari is a man of integrity, who respects the provisions of the law and national interest, and will not support the imposition of any candidate in the party.

“APC as the ruling party must ensure internal party democracy with a view to deepening democratic culture in the country.

“And the party should not entrust the leadership of the party in the hands of those who fought democracy and the party during its formative days in the country,” Wakawa said.

Saturday Vanguard reports that the group has also endorsed the immediate past governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko al-Makura who is of the CPC reflecting the sentiments within the CPC against Adamu.

Meanwhile, expectations that the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Tinubu would play a role in the formation of the next NWC were said to have been rebuffed.

In the past Tinubu had sanctioned all three past national chairmen of the party -Chief Bisi Akande, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. Though Oshiomhole was initially proposed by Buhari for national chairman he, was, however, largely known to have worked in the same political direction with Tinubu.

In confirming no role for Tinubu in the making of the new NWC, it was learnt that the president’s camp had passed a message to Tinubu that he cannot play the same role this time “because he is now an aspirant” having moved from his position as kingmaker.

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