The immediate-past Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF, Salihu Moh. Lukman has named Governors Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Yahaya Bello of Kogi and Dapo Abiodun Ogun as those backing the embattled National Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC, Gov. Mai Mala Buni to frustrate the party from holding its March 26 national convention.
Lukman called on the party hierarchy to initiate a disciplinary actions against the three governors.
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State had on Thursday said three governors are still supporting Buni, calling them “yahoo yahoo governors”.
Noting that Gov. Buni’s camp has been using surrogates to sway political narratives, Lukman however said there are known faces who continue to collude with the Yobe governor to block the convention from taking place.
In a statement Friday in Abuja, Lukman said; “There are known collaborators of His Excellency Mai Mala who have colluded with him to ensure that all attempts to organise the APC National Convention are blocked.
“Three Governors who are known and must also be called upon to account for their roles in undermining decisions to organise the APC National Convention are His Excellency Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, His Excellency Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, and His Excellency Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State.
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“There are other party leaders, including Sen Uzor Kalu who have actively supported His Excellency Mai Mala Buni to undermine the decision to organise the National Convention of the party. The March 17, 2022 APC NEC should initiate processes of disciplinary hearing in line with provisions of the APC Constitution to sanction all these leaders if found guilty”.
He also advocated constant vigilance by all stakeholders of the APC, saying the days leading to the March 26 national convention could sound the death knell for the party or give it an exhilarating breathe of fresh air.
“Events in APC require constant vigilance by all committed party members and leaders. Without doubt, the days ahead, leading to the March 26, 2022 National Convention, will define both the survival, the democratic orientation and the quality of leaders of the party. Whether APC will produce both party leaders and candidates for the 2023 elections who can justify the trust invested in them, depends a lot on how all the current leadership challenges facing the party is resolved”, he said in a statement Friday in Abuja.
Lukman noted that beyond electing new leaders and setting the stage for the 2023 electoral contests, how the APC navigates through attempts by some of its leaders, “including Gov. Mai Mala Buni and his collaborators to block the Convention from either holding as scheduled or electing new leaders who support and respect decisions taken by broad section of leaders and members of the party will be the main test”.
According to him, since Monday when Gov. Abubakar Sani Bello and the other ten members of the 13-member APC CECPC announced their resolve to ensure that the March 26 APC National Convention holds, there have been deliberate attempts to question the legitimacy of decisions taken by the APC.
“Perhaps, it is important to recall that the decision to setup the CECPC with His Excellency Mai Mala as Chairman was taken by the APC NEC of June 25, 2020. With the initial tenure of six months, the NEC of December 8, 2020, extended it expectedly another six months. From six months, it became one year, and as it turned out to be, it is now endless, with the risk of eventually terminating the political life of the party. All these happened because both President Muhammadu Buhari, other party leaders and members trusted that His Excellency Mai Mala will provide honest leadership and implement every decision taken, leading to the emergence of new leaders for the APC. Had His Excellency Mai Mala lived up to the trust invested in his leadership of the party, at the minimum APC Convention would have been history and there wouldn’t have been any debate questioning the legitimacy of any serving Chairman of the party.
“The fact that His Excellency Mai Mala has consciously and deliberately led APC to the present embarrassing situation, is most unfortunate. One would have expected that both His Excellency Mai Mala, his associates of surrogate supporters and timid leaders will be more concerned about what should be done to resolve all the leadership challenges facing the APC”, he added. (Vanguard)
