The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), says it will go ahead with the March 26 National Convention despite the Independent Electoral Commission invalidating it.
The party said it had notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its intention to hold the exercise.
APC insisted that it was not necessary to give the electoral body a fresh 21-day notice which it demanded.
Speaking for the party, spokesperson for the CECPC and APC National Youth Leader, Ismail Ahmed, stated:
“Convention will hold on the 26th of March. I am not only a youth leader or internal spokesperson, I am also a lawyer. And we have served a notice to INEC for the 26th of February earlier.”
We served that notice on the 5th of February and that was the required 21 days. If you are going to make any adjustment to that date all you need is a letter, making an adjustment to the date.
“You don’t need another 21 days and that letter was since written about two weeks ago when we realised that we couldn’t hold it on the 26th of February.
“The moment, the CECPC agreed on the 26th of March, that letter was written to INEC and the body accepted that letter. So that is long gone lis not an issue.”
“The issue of the date of convention is not in question, not in INEC, not certainly with us. That is settled.
“It is sacrosanct that 26th of March and we have comply with all the rules and we have notified INEC as appropriately expected for us to do that. So that’s no longer an issue.”Ahmed however, maintained that Governor Mai Mala Buni remained the chairman of the party.
“Since the inception of this CECPC on June, 25 2020 whenever the chairman is not around and Governor Sani Bello is around, he acts on behalf as the acting Chairman. It has always been the case that has never changed. It has always been the case.
“And now we have a convention on the 26th of March, the chairman wrote a letter and transmitting his power to go for medical treatment. These are two emergencies.
“He has a medical emergency that cannot wait for convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy. So one has to leave for other.
“The chairman left, transmitted a letter, Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. What is the problem? Why is it? Why is it difficult for people to simply understand that?”
“I just simply don’t understand why people are making this an issue. So Governor Bello is acting with the full authority of the caretaker committee and with the full authority of the stakeholders, and leaders of the party and with the full consent and knowledge of Governor Mai-Mala Buni.
“It’s very clear and very simple. If anybody has any issues with any of our decisions, you can take it to court. For now we’re doing it with the full authority and backing of the law. So there is no ambiguity in this. Absolutely none.”
