A day after the substantive National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC, Gov. Mai Mala Buni, the acting National Chairman of the CECPC and Niger state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello has insisted on the sack of the National Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe.
Bello also denounced the recomposition of the national convention sub-committees by Gov. Buni, saying the earlier inaugurated sub-committees remain in place.
Spokesman of the Bello-led CECPC, Barr. Ismae’el Ahmed told newsmen that he notices for Akpanudoedehe’s sack was arrived at on March 8 by a majority of the members of the committee who passed a vote of no confidence on the erstwhile secretary of the committee.
The notice has 10 of the 12 members of the committee signed including Senator Ken Nnamani, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf, Prof Tahir Mamman, Senator Abba Alli, Chief David Lyon, Hon Akinremi Olaide, Mrs Stella Okotete, Barr Ismaeel Ahmed and Dr James Lalu.
The Bello camp said it relied on Article 27 (v & vi) of the party constitution.
That section of the constitution states; “Subject to ratification by the National Convention or Congress an Officer shall be relieved of his post at any time if a vote of ‘No Confidence’ is passed on him by two-thirds of members of the relevant Party organ.
“Pursuant to this Constitution, where a vote of ‘No Confidence’ has been passed on an Officer, the relevant Party organ shall appoint another person to act in his place pending ratification by the National Convention or Congress”.
Ahmed said; “the CECPC has reaffirmed its position regarding the sack of Senator Akpanudoedehe and maintained that the final list of Convention planning sub-committees signed by the Director of Organisation following the directive of the caretaker committee remains the final and authentic list.
Responding to news reports making rounds on a purported list of subcommittees for the National Convention single-handedly signed by the already sacked Senator Akpanudoedehe, Barr Ismaeel Ahmad who has been briefing the media since the sack of Senator Akpanudoedehe reiterated that the CECPC never approved the list and in fact has no record of such list. He, therefore, informed that party members and the media should ignore the falsehood being spread by sacked Senator Akpanudoedehe.
According to him, the approved final list was the outcome of extensive consultations with all the stakeholders and follow up at ensuring a decent list that is representative and inclusive is put together and the same has since been issued.
“The laughable action of sacked Senator Akpanudoedehe is therefore considered an affront on the committee which was duly constituted in line with provisions of the party’s constitution and NEC of the party.
“Seeing the unpopular actions of Senator Akpanudoedehe it is now obvious that he might be surreptitiously working to derail the party, cause internal friction capable of causing the further crisis, but the committee against all his antics is determined to forge ahead and ensure the national convention holds as scheduled and approved devoid of any untoward actions”, Ahmed stated.