Resign now or get sacked, aggrieved APC stakeholders tell Buni committee

• Nabena: Only convention can dissolve caretaker committee
• ‘Those calling for Buni-led committee resignation are fuelling crisis’

The last is yet to be heard of the crisis rocking the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as some stakeholders of the party have called for the immediate resignation of the Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

Addressing a press conference, yesterday, in Abuja, spokesman of the aggrieved members, Ayo Oyalowo, asked members of Governor Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC to step aside to avoid being shown the exit door.

Oyalowo said the Buni committee has failed to resolve contentious issues in the party. He argued that the committee was not willing to organise a national convention anytime soon, after conducting what he described as the worst ward, local government and state congresses.

He added that the congresses, rather than put the party on strong footing, had instead created further divisions and disenchantment among members.

The stakeholders also blamed the party’s defeat in the Anambra governorship election on failure of the committee to do things right, beginning from the primary that produced Andy Uba as the party’s candidate.

“Another crystal clear evidence of the failure of the caretaker committee is the outcome of the Anambra gubernatorial election. While it is sad that the APC came a dismal third in an election it had every chance of winning, it would have been a magic if the party had performed better than it did, especially considering that the candidate of the party, Senator Andy Uba, emerged through a process that was completely strange to the ideals of the APC.

“Little wonder that almost all the aspirants of the party in the primary election turned the other way after they had been denied the opportunity to exercise their rights as full fledged members in a free and fair contest. To make matters worse, the committee, rather than managed the fallout of that unfortunate primary election, busied itself pursuing opposition party members to join the APC.”

Oyalowo disclosed that they had written private letters to President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; APC National Leader, Ahmed Bola Tinubu; Senate President, Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila for their intervention.

Oyalowo, who was flanked by other members of the group, also backed resolutions for the adoption of direct primary in the selection of party candidates for elections in the country.

He said: “It has become obvious to all discerning party men and women that the CECPC cannot fix the problems it met on ground. If anything, the caretaker committee has created more problems for the party than it was meant to resolve.

“The fact it has even subsisted for this long is a greater testimony to its failure. If the committee’s many ’round-about’ activities were effective, it would have since fulfilled its mandate and give the party a new leadership.

“To make matters worse, the committee, rather than manage the fallout of that unfortunate primary elections, busied itself pursuing opposition party members to join the APC. But even with almost all the opposition party members emptying into the APC, the party still had a worse outing in the election.

“On the basis of the above and many others too numerous to mention, the Concerned APC Stakeholders is calling for the immediate resignation of the Buni-led CECPC for their glaring failures in managing the affairs of the party; failure of which the committee should be immediately dissolved and a new committee whose task will be to immediately conduct the National Convention of the party be constituted,” Oyalowo said.

When contacted for comments, the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, in a terse message said: “The Caretaker Committee can’t be dissolved until it organises a national convention.”

ALSO, former Commissioner for Information in Lagos State, Kehinde Bamigbetan, has stated that rather than calling for the resignation of the CECPC, members of the committee should be commended for their exploits in the party.

Bamigbetan, who spoke with The Guardian yesterday, said it was those calling for Buni’s resignation that want to create crisis in the party, though “the people calling for Buni’s resignation have the right because it is a democracy.”

He added that the first time APC held a convention, there was more crisis than what the party is currently experiencing, but it surmounted them all.

“The Buni-led committee has done several things, it has done membership registration, ward, local government and state congresses, so, why would you now want to create a crisis by asking him to go when he is yet to conduct the national convention, which will complete its mandate.”

According to him, the party is presently doing all it could to ensure that all aggrieved party members are pacified and brought to the fold.

“There is no way you are going to organise a national party with various tendencies, groups, zones, local government and wards that you will not be dealing with what seem to be an imbroglio for the onlooker, but for players on the field, it is just one of those things. I want to assure you that the party is not in crisis, December convention will hold, efforts are being made to bring all the aggrieved members into the fold and their grievances will be addressed.”