Men from the Nigeria Police Force have taken over the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress.
According to reports, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the removal of Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni as Chairman of the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and the replacement of him with Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State.
Buni is believed to have refused to hold the rescheduled convention since no plans had been made on the ground, according to a faction of APC governors who complained angrily to President Buhari.
The secretariat, however, was sealed off by the police as early as 8 a.m. on Monday.
To prevent any breakdown of law and order, around 80 police officers arrived with 11 cars and cordoned off the party’s secretariat at Blantyre Street, Wuse II, Abuja.
The meeting of the Caretaker Committee is anticipated to be presided over by Bello.
However, the party’s National Secretary, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, has rejected any leadership change at the Buhari residence.
In a hastily written statement released on Monday, Akpanudoedehe called the media rumor of a leadership shift “fake news” that should be ignored.
He said: “Our attention has been drawn to sponsored media reports on an imaginary leadership change in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
“The APC is a progressive political party guided by rules. Leadership changes are not announced by ‘sources’ through name dropping in the media.
“We urge our teeming supporters, members and indeed the general public to remain calm and support the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC CECPC conduct a rancour-free and credible National Convention deserving of our great party.”
Bello, on the other hand, has arrived at the party’s secretariat to take over as the sole administrator.
He’s already in a meeting with nine of the party’s twelve Caretaker Committee members.
Buni had gone out of the nation for a medical check-up, as you may recall.
