Amid heavy security, the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday inaugurated state chairmen at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
However, the party failed to inaugurate Haruna Danzago, the chairman of the Senator Ibrahim Shekarau-led faction in Kano State despite a court judgment. The party also did not inaugurate a chairman for its Sokoto State chapter.
This is just as The PUNCH learnt on Thursday that four North-Central governors elected on the platform of the APC visited the Presidential Villa amid reports that the party will pick its next chairman from the zone.
The state chairmen who emerged from the state congresses conducted last October were sworn-in by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, who was represented by the APC National Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe.
The inauguration was held despite parallel congresses in some states such as Oyo, Kwara, Delta, Osun, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Ogun among others which had yet to amicably resolve their internal crises before Thursday.
The inaugurated state chairmen are Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu (Abia), Ibrahim Bilal (Adamawa), Augustine Ekanem (Akwa Ibom), Basil Ejike (Anambra), Babayo Misau (Bauchi), Dr. Dennis Otiotio (Bayelsa), Augustine Agada (Benue), Ali Dalori (Borno), and Alphonsus Eba (Cross River).
Others include Omeni Sabotie (Delta), Stanley Emegha (Ebonyi), Col David Imuse (retd.) (Edo), Omotosho Ayodele (Ekiti), Ogochukwu Agballah (Enugu), Nitte Amangal (Gombe), Dr Macdonald Ebere (Imo), Aminu Gumel (Jigawa), Air Cdre Emmanuel Jekada (retd.) (Kaduna), Muhammed Sani (Katsina), Abubakar Kana (Kebbi) and Abdullahi Bello (Kogi).
Sunday Fagbemi (Kwara), Cornelius Ojelabi (Lagos), John Mamman (Nasarawa), Haliru Jikantoro (Niger), Yemi Sanusi (Ogun), Ade Adetimehin (Ondo), Adegboyega Famodun (Osun), Isaac Omodewu (Oyo), Rufus Bature (Plateau), Emeka Bekee (Rivers). Ibrahim El-Sudi (Taraba), Muhammed Gadaka (Yobe), Tukur Danfulani (Zamfara) and Abdulmalik Usman (FCT), were also inaugurated.
Names of the chairmen of both Sokoto and Kano states were not on the list of those inaugurated and none of the factions in the two states were sworn in on Thursday.
During the exercise, Akpanudoedehe congratulated the new state APC leaders saying, “I have been asked to issue you certificate of return as duly elected chairmen of your states.”
Speaking on behalf of the chairmen, Chairman of the APC state chairmen Forum, Bukar Dalori, expressed gratitude to the Buni-led National Caretaker Committee.
According to Borno state chairman, Buni has led APC “with an unimpeachable commitment to move the party forward and carry all members and leaders along.”
He said “In the last few months, we have witnessed leadership finesse in the manner party affairs are conducted. There is no doubt that Your Excellency has brought your experience to bear in piloting the affairs of our great party.
“On behalf of my colleagues, we wish to pledge our unalloyed loyalty to the leadership of Your Excellency and to assure you that we are all behind you all the way as your achievements have shown your sterling qualities.”
Assuring the party leadership of victory in 2023, Dalori said: “We have taken your charge in good faith and like soldiers we shall be unrelenting in marching our party to a commanding and convincing victory in 2023.
“Let us also use this opportunity to assure members in our respective states that we shall work with every party member to ensure APC protects Nigeria from those who destroyed it in the past.”
Reacting to the refusal of the APC to inaugurate him as chairman in Kano State, the chairman of the Shekarau faction said he would remain patient to see if the party would disobey a valid court judgment.
“Following my victory at the court of law, my faction is authentic and recognised by the court of competent jurisdiction,” Danzago said.
All efforts to contact the Ganduje-led faction proved abortive on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, on Thursday held a closed-door meeting with the Governors of Niger, Abubakar Bello; Kogi, Yahaya Bello; Plateau, Simon Lalong and Nasarrawa, Abdullahi Sule.
The details of the meeting were undisclosed as the participants said it was a “confidential meeting”.
However, with the governors being from the APC, the meeting may be part of deliberations to elect the party’s next national chairman and substantive members of the National Working Committee.
Copyright PUNCH.
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: [email protected]
