Politics

Convention: Buhari Backs Buni, Cautions Akeredolu, Other APC Govs

Published

4 years ago

March 16, 2022

President Muhammadu Buhari has warned Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State; his Kaduna State counterpart, Nasir el-Rufai; and other All Progressives Congress governors to desist from attacking their Yobe State colleague, Mai Mala Buni.

Buhari also urged the governors to allow the Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee to proceed with all preparations to hold the March 26 convention of the party.

The President spoke in London when he met Buni and Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu. Buhari, Buni and Adamu are all on medical vacation in the United Kingdom.

This was contained in a statement by presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, on Wednesday.

The statement was titled, ‘President Buhari Backs Buni-Led Cecc; Directs Apc Governors To Stop Further Utterances That Lead To Disunity’.

It read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has once again intervened in the uncertainties currently rocking the All progressives Congress, APC.

“In a letter personally signed by him, addressed to Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State who is also the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, President Buhari said the multiplicity of cases currently rocking the party has the prospect of invalidating the activities and actions of the Party by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“The letter which was also copied to the Chairman of Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee, the Acting Chairman of the CECC, Governor Sani Bello, the Director-General of the DSS as well as the Inspector General of Police, the President said that since the party could not change the leadership of the CECC without infringing on the time limit set by INEC, and the fact that the current uncertainties and controversies “pose a real threat to the party,” he has therefore directed as follows:

“The issue of the leadership of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee should immediately return to status quo ante;

“All members of the Governors Forum and their followers should desist from any behaviour or utterance that will likely lead to disunity in the ranks of the party, and ultimately jeorpadise the transition to the convention;

“The Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee should accordingly be allowed to proceed with all necessary preparations to hold the convention as planned- unfailingly on 26th March, 2022.”

Buhari had reportedly removed Buni as APC caretaker chairman over alleged failure to implement actionable points leading to the realisation of the party’s convention, according to el-Rufai and Akeredolu. The governors had also said the President chose Bello in Buni’s stead till INEC refused to recognise the Niger State governor as APC chair.

The Niger State governor had taken over as acting chairman of the party last Monday amid rumours that Buhari had ordered the sacking of Buni but the Yobe State governor insisted that he had not been sacked but he only transmitted power to Bello in acting capacity before he travelled to the UK for medical checkup.

Amid the controversy, some governors, including El-Rufai and Akeredolu openly condemned Buni.

While El-Rufai accused Buni of conniving with some fifth columnists to procure a court order that would scuttle the convention, Akeredolu described the governors supporting Buni as ‘Yahoo Yahoo (fraudulent) governors.

Related Topics:El-Rufai govs Oluwarotimi Akeredolu

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Politics

Dino Melaye Reacts To Malami’s Arraignment For Money Laundering

Published

3 days ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Ex-Kogi West senator, Dino Melaye, has reacted to the arraignment of a former Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Abubakar Malami, before an Abuja Federal High Court.

Melaye wished Malami well as he began his trial for corruption.

Posting on X, the former lawmaker recalled how he was prosecuted by Malami over what he described as frivolous cases while he was the AGF.

He wrote: “Reminded me of how I was appearing in different courts when Malami as AGF was prosecuting me over frivolous cases including taking over one of the police cases against me. Wish him.well.”

Malami, his son Abdulaziz, and another individual are facing a 16-count charge of money laundering.

They were arraigned on allegations of unlawful acquisition and concealment of funds.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Politics

What PDP Said About Wike’s Media Parley

Published

4 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, of being a constant agent of provocation in the political space, alleging that he creates trouble to mask selfish intentions.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated this in a statement issued on Monday in response to Wike’s media parley with selected journalists in Port Harcourt, also held on Monday.

According to the PDP, remarks made by the minister on several occasions are proof that he falls short of being a locus classicus of anti-democratic adventurism.

The party said Wike’s conduct was not new, stressing that he has consistently acted as an agent provocateur in the political arena, stirring controversy to advance personal interests.

The PDP further stated that since Wike assumed office as Governor of Rivers State in 2015, he has remained a recurrent source of trouble within the party’s leadership.

“From the Sheriff era, where he was a forerunner in the Sheriff-for-National Chairman movement and later turned to fight and remove Sheriff; later he championed the Uche Secondus-for-National Chairman movement (in fact, he granted a very combustible interview that polarized the party just before the convention) and then was the same person fighting to remove Secondus.

“The same Wike led the movement to produce Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman against the advice of many party leaders, and so soon thereafter, it was Wike again who led the Ayu-must-go struggle.

“By his end-of-year media chat, Minister Nyesom Wike has reiterated his support for, and in fact declared that he is the ‘number one supporter’ of the presumptive candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 Presidential election, while remaining a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, confirming the basis of his expulsion from the PDP, for anti-party activities,” the statement said.

Politics

JUST IN: INEC Excludes PDP From Ekiti Governorship Election

Published

4 days ago

December 29, 2025

Editor

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the 2026 Ekiti governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, and his deputy were conspicuously absent as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, released the provisional list of party candidates ahead of the election.

INEC on Monday posted the list of candidates from 12 political parties vying for the state’s top job at its office on New Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.

The list shows that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is fielding the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, with Monisade Afuye as his running mate.

Other candidates include Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party, with Omoyemi Olaleye as deputy; Akande Oluwasegun of the African Action Congress, paired with Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe; and Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party, with Itunu Ibitoye as running mate.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress is presenting Oluwadare Bejide and Paul Olowoyeye, while the Action Peoples Party has Bidemi Awogbemi and Akinyemi Adewumi on its ticket.

The PDP’s absence may not be unconnected with the leadership crisis currently rocking the party at the national level.