Politics

APC Crisis: Buni, Marafa Feud Gets Messier As Party Threatens Sanction

Published

4 years ago

November 15, 2021

The political spat between the National Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state and one of the party’s chieftains and former senator representing Zamfara Central, Sen. Kabiru Marafa got messier on Monday as both men continued to issue threats through their proxies.

The party on its part has threatened to wield the big stick on Sen. Marafa over his verbal attacks on Gov. Buni.

The threats came 24 hours after Sen. Marafa declared the CECPC an illegal contraption and vowed to ensure its dissolution through the Judiciary.

However, in a statement issued Monday in Abuja and signed by the National Secretary of the CECPC, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, the party warned Sen. Marafa against insubordination.

Marafa in his own statement asked the CECPC to stop grandstanding and address all issues he raised at Sunday’s news conference.

Spokesman of the Marafa faction of the APC, Hon. Bello Bakyasuwa Maradun in a statement said “in his courageous and issues-driven politics, Sen Kabiru Marafa raised pertinent points that undermined the legality of the APC National leadership under Mai-Mala Buni while equally providing the rationale for his APC-led faction to conduct a parallel congress”.

According to him, “it is interesting that the issues raised by Senator Marafa did not sit well with the so-called caretaker leadership of APC under Mai-Mala Buni through a statement attributed to one Mamman Mohammed who called himself DG Press and Media Affairs to Governor Mai-Mala Buni.

“We want to thank the DG for acknowledging the fact that Sen Marafa is a responsible politician. But instead of addressing the issues raised by Senator Marafa against his boss, Mr. Mamman went bluffing and describing the actions of the highly respected Senator as “political suicide” and advising on the obvious stance of going to court which Senator Marafa unequivocally stated in all his statements.

“In responding to his statement, we consider it imperative for Mai-Mala and his co-travellers on the road to perdition to what the famous boxing champion Muhammad Ali says ‘Bragging is when a man says what he can’t do. I do what I say.

“This is because Nigeria and the world have witnessed the courageous and responsible way Senator Marafa conducted his affairs as a Senator of the Federal of Nigeria and his political engagements in general.

“We cannot allow ourselves to be distracted by the outburst of Mr Mai-Mala’s spokesman and lose sight of the real issues raised by Distinguished Senator Marafa.

“For the records, Senator Marafa took Mai-Mala Buni upon; The stupendous and scandalous amount of money and assets he declared in his code of conduct form as published by Sahara Reporters which are not justifiable in the context of his family and or business antecedents.

“Senator Marafa also related the misguided actions of Mai-Mala Buni as products of his lack of formal education, his history of never attending a school and challenged him (Mai Mala) to mention the legitimate schools he (Mai Mala) ever attended.

“Senator Marafa also recalled how he and Malam Nasir El-Rufa’i were instrumental to Mai-Mala’s emergence as APC National Secretary and went further to mention names of some eminent personalities that are all alive as witnesses to his claim, such as the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the Senate President Dr Ahmad Ibrahim Lawal, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, Sen Ali Modu Sherif and so on, on these grounds, Senator Marafa questioned the moral disposition of Mr Mai-Mala Buni’s arrogant and undemocratic ways of doing things in APC generally and Zamfara in particular as if he has a pedigree beyond being a councillor, PA to the governor then party National Secretary before becoming a governor.

One would have thought Mamman would debunk these claims or get across to one or all the eminent personalities mentioned by Sen Marafa to debunk the claim”.

Sanctions

Buni in the statement signed by Sen. Akpanudoedehe warned Sen. Marafa not to reduce party issues to a personality contest.

“The Party urges Sen. Marafa and his cohorts not to reduce the political issues to a contest of personalities but submit to party supremacy and internal dispute resolution structures adequately provided for by the APC Constitution. Anything outside this amounts to insubordination and indiscipline and the APC constitution is very clear on this”, Akpanudoedehe stated.

On allegations that it bent the rules in the conduct of the hitherto suspended Congresses in Zamfara state, the CECPC said; “Our attention has been drawn to uninformed and misguided comments by Senator Kabiru Marafa regarding the All Progressives Congress (APC) Ward Congresses held in Zamfara State on Saturday 13th, November 2021.

“While the APC will not join issues with Senator Marafa who is supposed to be one of the party leaders in Zamfara state but chooses to denigrate the Party and its leaders, it is important to set the records straight.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the APC received intelligence reports bordering on the security of the Zamfara State APC Ward Congress Committee, hence the need to temporarily suspend their activities. That necessitated the letter of 5th November 2021 to the Chairman of the Committee, Alh. Ibrahim Kabir Masari, only.

“After, evaluation and consultations, the Committee, in a letter dated 10th November 2021 was okayed to proceed with the conduct of the Zamfara State Ward Congresses on Saturday 13th, November 2021, which Sen. Marafa participated. This had nothing to do with the 21 days notice for the conduct of Wards, Local Government Areas and State Congresses in Zamfara State earlier sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which subsists.

“The letter to Alh. Ibrahim Kabir Masari which Sen. Marafa is brandishing is an internal administrative correspondence and was not copied to INEC nor any other agency or person(s) as the case may be.

“This clarification is necessary to guide Sen. Marafa and his cohorts who seem bent on misleading our teeming party members in Zamfara State”.

(VANGUARD)

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Politics

ADC Will Take Over Aso Rock, Lagos Govt House In 2027 — Aregbesola

Published

12 hours ago

September 13, 2025

Editor

The National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has vowed that his party will unseat President Bola Tinubu and also take over Lagos state come 2027.

The former governor of Osun State made the pledge on Saturday, at an event where the leader of the Conscience Forum of the Labour Party (LP), Hon. Moshood Salvador, led members of the group to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The event which held in Lagos also marked the 25th anniversary of the Conscience Forum as a political group.

It had in attendance the National Secretary of the African Democratic Party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, leadership of the ADC in Lagos state, and wards and zonal leaders of the Conscience Forum from the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 LCDAs in the state.

Addressing the new members, Aregbesola commended the leadership, executives and members of the Conscience Forum while tasking them on the need to take over the seat of power in Abuja and Lagos in 2027 general elections.

He pledged that the ADC will produce the next president of the country while charging the new intakes not to relent in their efforts to changing Nigeria for the better.

He said, “I am happy to be a part of this gathering. I am also happy to receive you into the ADC folds. We are the only one that can make it difficult to take over wherever we are if the Conscience Forum, good looking people with highly cultured leadership can organized this kind of event to make a declaration for the ADC and follow the line enunciated by the leader, surely, Alausa is a sure ticket for all of us.

“With our resolve, it won’t be difficult at all to take over the seat of power. It’s a simple strategy of one getting ten and each of the ten will equally get ten. Its operation ten over ten. Once we are able to get this done, that’s the end of it. We will surely meet at the Aso Rock Villa and produce the next president of the country. Once again, I am happy to be here and we must not relax our efforts to change Nigeria.”

Speaking on the move to the ADC, Salvador said the problems confronting the Labour Party has shown that it is not a party for the future.

He said, “Today, we are marking the 25 anniversary of the Conscience Forum and at the same time, for a wise man or people of wisdom, we look back to what you’ve achieved and look forward to what we are aiming to become. Our members were in Labour Party and the problem of the Labour Party has shown that they have lost the future. Its no more a party of the future and that is why, we have to think of where next since we have the new wave and the formation of coalition of political party, for anyone that wants something good of its members, the best is to join the coalition.

“This is not just the ADC. The ADC being the symbol of the coalition and that is why Conscience Forum, being a political group with over 400, 000 members in Lagos will have to showcase our structure including our LGA and Ward officers and so on. This is necessary for them to know the size of the group they are taking in. We chose today being our 25th anniversary to declare for the ADC so that our members will now join the ADC at their various ward levels.”

Politics

2027: Details Of Jonathan, Peter Obi Meeting Emerge

Published

18 hours ago

September 13, 2025

Editor

Details have emerged regarding the recent closed-door meeting between former President Goodluck Jonathan and former presidential candidate Peter Obi.

The two leaders are reportedly discussing strategies for a unified front in the 2027 presidential election.

The meeting took place on Thursday, with Obi disclosing insights about the engagement on his Facebook and X accounts.

The meeting was a continuation of previous conversations between the two leaders over strategies for the 2027 race.

The National Coordinator of the OBIdient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, confirmed this in a statement on Friday.

“They (Jonathan and Obi) have been friends for a long time. The meeting was for them to fraternise and discuss how to rescue Nigeria.

“But for us in the OBIdient Movement, it would be great if Jonathan remains the respected statesman he is known for. He has done his best as President, he is respected, and this is the time for him to support his brother,” Tanko told Daily Trust.

Tanko further alleged that some politicians were plotting to use Jonathan against Obi but maintained that the Obidient Movement would not allow such a plan to succeed.

“We are aware of such moves, but we strongly believe they will not succeed.

“Many Nigerians believe the next president should come from the South, and for fairness, the South East should get the chance. Peter Obi is the ideal candidate,” he added.

Politics

Tinubu’s Mandate Accomplished In Rivers — Ibas

Published

1 day ago

September 13, 2025

Editor

Rivers State Administrator, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (retd.), has stated that the mandate given to him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been “sufficiently achieved” with the restoration of democratic governance at the grassroots.

Ibas made the remark on Friday at Government House, Port Harcourt, during the presentation of the report on the recently concluded local government elections by the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC).

He recalled that Tinubu, on March 18, 2025, directed him to stabilise the state, re-establish its institutions, and return Rivers to full democratic governance following his appointment as sole administrator.

According to him, the successful conduct of the polls and the swearing-in of elected chairmen and councillors across the 23 local government areas marked the fulfilment of that mandate.

“Mr. President’s mandate to me was clear: to stabilise the state, create an enabling environment for the re-establishment of its institutions, and return Rivers State back to full democratic governance. With the successful conduct and swearing-in of local government chairmen and their councils, I believe we have decisively achieved the mandate that we were given,” Ibas stated.

He praised RSIEC for what he described as a credible and transparent election, noting that the exercise was free of harassment and voters freely expressed their choices.

Ibas added that the government would review the RSIEC report and issue a white paper in due course. He also commended his team, security agencies, and state officials for their contributions.

RSIEC Chairman, Dr Mike Odey, who presented the report earlier, described the election as a “historic achievement” for Rivers and the country. He stressed that it was organised, coordinated, and concluded within 30 days — an unprecedented record in Nigerian electoral history.