APC Govs give Buni marching order to reconcile party leaders ahead convention

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

Governors elected on the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC) have given a marching order to the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, to reconcile all aggrieved party leaders before their National convention.

The APC Governors also enjoined all the leaders of the party to make sacrifices and recommit themselves to build the APC based on the spirit of give and take, adding that in appreciation of the enormity of the challenges facing the country and the onerous efforts at addressing them, the Forum recommits itself to continue to support all the initiatives of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a communique signed by the Chairman of the APC Governors Forum, Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, who is also the Governor of Kebbi State, said after their meeting Wednesday night, the progressive Governors, under the umbrella of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), also resolved to meet the Attorney General of their respective States to streamline the implementation of autonomy for State judiciary and legislature.

Part of the communique reads “Progressive Governors held an emergency meeting on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 and resolved as follows:

“Autonomy for Judiciary and State Legislature: Reviewed the work done by NGF Committee on autonomy for Judiciary and State Legislature under the Chairmanship of His Excellency Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State;

“Noted that the Governor Tambuwal-led NGF Committee consulted all the critical stakeholders, notably leadership of State Judiciary and Assemblies and jointly reached agreements on specific initiatives to be taken by State Governments to guarantee autonomy for State judiciary and assemblies;

“Accordingly, Forum endorsed agreements reached by the Governor Tambuwal-led NGF Committee and enjoined all APC controlled states and indeed all states to commence the process of implementing the submitted recommendations;

“As part of the process of implementing the NGF agreements in APC controlled states, appropriate consultations with Attorneys-General will take place in order to provide all necessary legal framework for the implementation of the Governor Tambuwal-led NGF Committee’s proposed recommendations”.

The communique also said “The meeting also received briefing from His Excellency, Governor Mai Mala Buni, Chairman, APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee. As part of the briefing, the proposed timetable for Congresses leading to the National Convention of the APC was presented;

“The meeting noted with satisfaction the progress made by the APC Caretaker Committee with the successful registration and revalidation of members of the party.

“In addition, the meeting also took special recognition of the giant strides the Caretaker Committee has recorded by winning high profile politicians into the party, notably Ebonyi and Cross River Governors, former Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Speakers of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and Rt Hon Dimeji Bankole, Serving National Assembly members, etc.;

“Forum unanimously commended the Chairman and members of the Caretaker Committee and urged them to also prioritise reconciling all leaders of the party as the party commences the processes of electing leaders of the party at all levels”.