Intrigue, Suspense, As APC Governors Attempt To Take Party Structure

Suspense and subtle crisis of confidence is in the air ahead of the emergency meeting of the National Executive Com­mittee (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled for Tues­day, December 8, 2020.

The meeting is the first mega gathering since the June 25, 2020 dissolution of the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) and subsequent inauguration of the National Care­taker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (NCECPC), chaired by Yobe State Governor, Mallam Mai Mala Buni.

Although the meeting will hold virtually, in line with the COVID-19 protocols, the gathering of the highest organ of the party is ex­pected to extend the tenure of the present national leadership under Governor Buni by some months to enable them conduct an elective con­vention. Their tenure expires this month.

The committee would most likely receive a further lifeline to continue in office.

Contrary to public opinion that the emergency NEC meeting was convened to deliberate on the court case instituted against the commit­tee by some members of the dis­solved NWC of the party, SUNDAY INDEPENDENT gathered that the main business of the meet­ing will be to elongate the committee's tenure, ratifying membership registration and adopting the committee's pro­grammes towards the conven­tion of the party.

The virtual meeting, which has been slated for 11a.m. at the council cham­bers of the Presidential villa, is allegedly to "infuse further lifeline to the Buni commit­tee as well as the membership registration expected to kick off on December 12."

A party stalwart who does not want to be named, said the Buni committee had succeed­ed in laying the foundation for the birth of a genuine inter­nal democracy in the APC, adding that the extension of the initial six-month duration was aimed at encouraging the committee to accomplish its assignment successfully.

He explained that member­ship registration exercise was aimed at making sure that "direct primaries are feasi­ble, authentic and credible," pointing out that the party noted complaints against the dissolved NWC and was de­termined to correct mistakes of the past.

SUNDAY INDEPENDENT gathered that the tenure elon­gation for the Buni commit­tee is aimed at ensuring that the committee oversees the election of delegates from across the country to partic­ipate in the national conven­tion.

The source was uncertain if the extra six months to be approved for the committee would be enough to accom­plish the plans, as he hinted of the possibility of further extension that might push the convention towards De­cember 2021.

The source stated that the party was not bothered by the litigation instituted by a former National Vice Chair­man, South-South, Chief Hil­lard Etta, stressing that the much that action could get by way of attention is the sus­pension or expulsion of Etta from the party.

Etta, who was a mem­ber of the defunct NWC, approached a Federal High Court in Abuja, penultimate Friday, to ask for the nulli­fication of the June 25, 2020 APC National Executive Council meeting which dis­solved the NWC.

It was at the same NEC meeting that the Buni-led Caretaker/ Extra-Ordinary National Convention Plan­ning Committee was set up to run the party's affairs for an initial period of six months.

Oshiomhole and several members of the dissolved NWC are known sympathis­ers of the party's National Leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, who is believed to be nursing a 2023 presiden­tial ambition.

It was learnt that APC governors, who plotted the downfall of Oshiomhole, merely cashed in on his mis­takes to edge him out in order to take full control of the par­ty structure ahead of the 2023 general elections.

"Most of our governors will be done with their sec­ond and the last term in of­fice by 2023 and most of them desire to remain politically relevant after serving out their term.

"Some of them are strug­gling to become Vice Presi­dent; some want to go to the Senate or become ministers. Of course, they literally own the party, they pay the piper and it is natural that they want to call the tune, this is the reality of our party poli­tics today.

"The desperation to 'take back' the party structure from rival power blocs within the party is principally about political survival," said a par­ty chieftain.

Etta's decision to challenge NEC's action was said to be puzzling, following a personal appeal by President Muham­madu Buhari to aggrieved members to withdraw pend­ing litigations and explore internal dispute resolution mechanisms.

Article 13.3 (ii) and (v) of the APC Constitution 2014 (As amended), empowers the party's NEC to discharge the responsibilities of the na­tional convention which is the highest decision-making organ of the party.

Specifically, Article 13.3 (v) stipulates that the NEC shall "exercise control and take disciplinary actions on all or­gans, officers and members of the party and determine appeals brought before it by any member or organ of the party."

Apart from President Buhari, the June 25 NEC meeting was attended by the Vice-President, Yemi Osinba­jo; Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gba­jabiamila; and several APC governors as well as senior ranking party leaders.

President Buhari's inter­vention, which led to Oshiom­hole's sacking, was meant to douse the tension in the party.

Governor Buni, had in a statement disclosed that membership registration, which had been endorsed by key stakeholders, including President Buhari, had been scheduled to begin on Satur­day, December 12, 2020.

He remarked that the ex­ercise would end on January 9, 2021, stressing that during the period, the APC faithful would be expected to reval­idate their membership in their respective wards.

"The process of distrib­uting the membership reg­istration and revalidation of materials to all the states, local governments and wards would be concluded before December 12, 2020," Buni stat­ed, adding that party leaders at states, local government and ward levels have been enjoined to take all neces­sary steps to ensure smooth and transparent registration exercise.

Okechukwu, Etta Trade Words Over Attempt To Re­instate Oshiomhole

Two chieftains of the APC, the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (DG, VON), Osita Okechukwu and Etta, recently crossed words over attempts to reinstate the sacked Comrade Adams Os­hiomhole-led National Work­ing Committee (NWC).

Irked by Etta's legal moves, Okechukwu, who was a member of the merger committee that led to the for­mation of APC, told journal­ists in Abuja that it behooves Etta, a former National Vice Chairman South/South, to withdraw the suit in the in­terest of the party.

While accusing Etta of do­ing the bidding of main op­position People's Democrat­ic Party (PDP), Okechukwu noted that Etta's action could lead to his outright expulsion from APC if he fails to with­draw the suit.

But, when reminded of Etta's claim that his action was in line with the APC Constitution and the 1999 Constitution as amended, Okechukwu said Etta was being economical with the truth.

His words: "Without prej­udice to the court process, more so when I don't know the 'we' he is representing or talking about; Etta knows that Section 21 (A) of the APC Constitution frowns on of­fences bordering on anti-par­ty activities or any conduct likely to embarrass or have adverse effects on the party. Is his suit in spite of his bogus claim, not capable of deceiv­ing the gullible?

"If he continues in his misadventure, he can't claim ignorance of how APC's Constitution views imper­sonation and how it rates anyone heading to court against the party without first exhausting all avenues for redress as provided in the Constitution."

Okechukwu expressed the fear that Etta was court­ing expulsion, stressing, "If he fails to withdraw the suit forthwith, it means that one may not be wrong in suspect­ing Etta as PDP's mole. I'm earnestly pleading with him to beware of how politically incorrect it is to be accused of spying for PDP.

"My take is to ask Etta to, as a matter of urgent national importance withdraw the suit forthwith. Otherwise, with­out prejudice to court process, is it not afterthought, that five months after, Etta kept quiet after the National Working Committee, which he be­longed, was validly dissolved?

"Where was he when his former national chairman, Oshiomhole, endorsed and upheld the dissolution of the NWC in the collective interest of our great party?

"Why is it now that many prominent PDP members are migrating to the APC that he woke up from his deep slum­ber? How come that he can flagrantly disobey Mr. Pres­ident, who admonished us to withdraw all cases for the peace and harmony of our party?"

But, when contacted, Etta said he couldn't join issues with "atavistic persons," even though that in the suit he filed through his counsel, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), he raised some salient issues for determination.

Defendants in the suit were Governor Buni, Sen. John Akpan Udoedehe, the National Secretary, Isiaka Oyetola, Sani Bello, Stella Oketete and the Independent National Electoral Commis­sion (INEC).

In the Originating Sum­mons, Governor Buni, Ak­pan Udoedehe, Oyetola, Bello and Oketete are the 1st to 5th defendants while INEC is the 6th defendant.

Etta, who is a staunch ally of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and Oshiomhole prayed the court to determine the fol­lowing questions:

*Whether having regard to Section 183 of the Constitu­tion of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amend­ed) and Article 17 (iv) of the Constitution of All Progres­sives Congress (APC) it is an illegality and a void act for a person to hold an executive office in the Government simultaneously with an of­fice in any organ of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at any level, in whatever ca­pacity.

*Whether having regard to Section 183 of the Constitu­tion of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Articles 20()a), 170) and (iv) of the Constitu­tion of the All Progressives Congress (APC), only per­sons who are not disqualified from holding office by vir­tue of the Constitution may run the affairs of the Party including the holding of a National Conventions and Congresses of the All Pro­gressives Congress (APC).

*Whether an act perpetu­ated in violation of Section 183 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Article 17() and (iv) and 20() ) of the Constitution of the APC is void ab initio, conferring or extinguishing no legal rights whatsoever.

The plaintiffs also prayed the court for, "an order set­ting aside and nullifying the appointment and con­stitution of the 1st to 5th defendants into a caretaker/ extraordinary convention planning committee of the all Progressives congress (APC).

"An order of perpetu­al injunction restraining the defendants, acting by themselves or through their agents and servants, from continuing to hold out, pres­ent and or parade themselves as the caretaker/extraordi­nary convention planning committee of the APC or from taking any steps what­soever as either national Chairman, National Secre­tary or members respectively of the caretaker/extraordi­nary convention planning committee of the APC."

The plaintiffs also sought for an order of perpetual in­junction restraining the six defendant from recognising and or continuing to recog­nize the 1st to 5th defendants as National Chairman, Na­tional Secretary or members respectively of the caretak­er/extraordinary convention planning committee of the All Progressives congress (APC).

In the affidavit in support of the originating summons, Etta said the NWC reacted to the proposed illegal meeting in a document captioned Press Statement by All Pro­gressives Congress (APC) National Working Commit­tee (NWC)" clearly express­ing that the proposed meet­ing violated the Constitution of APC.

He said the 1st to 5th De­fendants and those who pro­jected them were duly alerted of the illegality of their acts, "yet they persisted in such il­legality and willful disregard of the organic document of the 1st Plaintiff."

Although no date has been fixed for the hearing, the plaintiff lamented that the "6th Defendant no longer deals with the duly elected Executive of APC, but on the contrary, have recognised the 1st to 5th defendants in all matters concerning the 1st plaintiff, which contravenes the constitution of APC.

"The 1st to 5th defendants up till today are discharging the functions of the National Working Committee of the 1 Plaintiff and are parading themselves the All Progres­sives Congress (APC) Care­taker Extraordinary Conven­tion Planning Committee.''