Abubakar Bello, the Niger State Governor who has been reportedly appointed the Acting Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday afternoon stormed the National Secretariat of the party.
This was despite the tight security that besieged the Buhari House (APC National Secretariat) located along Blantyre Street in Wuse 2 Area of Abuja, allegedly to prevent Bello from taking over the mantle of leadership of the party.
Nine of the 12 member of the All Progressives Congress’ caretaker committee met behind the closed-door with the governor of Niger State.
The meeting is not unconnected with the removal of Mr Mai Mala Buni as the chairman of the Caretaker Committee and Extraordinary Convention of the Party.
There are reports that President Muhammadu Buhari has sacked Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, as Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.
The Niger state governor arrived the party secretariat and immediately went into closed-door meeting with nine members of the committee excluding Mr Mai Mala Buni.
Some sections of the media had earlier reported that Mr Buni, who was appointed as the Chairman of the 12-member Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) in June 2020, had been removed and Mr Bello appointed in his place.
Against the report of takeover, Mr Bello, who is a also member of the CECPC, told journalists that he was at the APC National Headquarters to administer oath of office to the elected state chairmen of the party.
Mr Buni-led interim national leadership of the party presented certificates of return to the chairmen-elect of the party in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in February without administering oath on them.
Mr Bello , on Monday, behind closed doors, administered the oath office on the state chairmen in attendance after a meeting with members of the interim committee.
“The states chairmen took their oath of Office today and we discussed progress made so far on Convention and what needs to be done next so that we will achieve the March 26 date for Convention,” he said after the event.
The Niger goovernor said he had been acting as the chairman of the party since Mr Buni left the country to seek medical attention.
“I have been acting for a while since the chairman traveled,” he told journalists before leaving the National Secretariat.
The meeting, Lagos Panorama gathered, was convened to implement President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive that in the absence of Governor Mai Mala Buni (who is away in Germany to attend to his health), Bello should act as the chairman of the party’s caretaker committee.
Bello, according to the president’s directive will hold forth for Buni, until he returns to resume his duties.
Secretary Caretaker committee, John AkpanUdoedehe is also part of the top members of the party attending the meeting.
