Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have expressed support for the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/ Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee in the wake of a review of the Supreme Court judgment on Ondo State.
Some APC members, including Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo (SAN), had expressed concern that it would be risky to retain the Buni committee going by the ruling of the apex court.
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However, the governors, in a statement on Thursday titled, ‘Supreme Court Judgment on Ondo State Election,’ signed by the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, and Kebbi State Governor Abubakar Bagudu, noted thatvthe ruling did not invalidate Buni’s position as chairman of the committee.
Bagudu said the written judgment, which was released late on Wednesday, August 4, 2021 had vindicated the party.
“Prior to the release of the written judgement, a lot of analysis and interpretations had been made, with some clearly mischievous. The early release of the written judgment had availed the public with the judgment of the court, which settled issues conclusively.
“We thank the Supreme Court for this landmark judgment, which among others, have dealt conclusively with legality of the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, its composition and all its decisions,” he said.
Earlier, a member of the caretaker committee, Mamman Tahir (SAN), while reading out excerpts of the judgment at a press conference said, “The Supreme Court upheld the finding of the Court of Appeal that the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, ‘was set up to act on behalf of the National Executive Committee to temporarily carry out the function of the National Working Committee until new members were democratically elected.
“The Supreme Court upheld further the ruling of the Court of Appeal that ‘it is evident that the said Governor Mai Mala Buni was appointed only in an acting capacity on a temporary basis to temporarily carry out and fill in the seat of the National Chairman of the party pending the elections of new members.
“On the strength of all the above positions of the Supreme Court in the instant case and other earlier decided cases cited in support, it is our opinion that the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee headed by Governor Mai Mala Buni is on firm ground to proceed with its mandate as given by the National Executive Committee of the APC.
“The judgment has also settled the legality of the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee. The court has correctly ruled that in line with section 13.3 of the APC Constitution, the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee was constituted by the National Executive Council of the APC to act as the National Working Committee.”
Dateline Nigeria reports that a subtle struggle has since commenced for the control of the APC ahead of the 2023 General elections.
