…some governors, including an influential one, had reached out to the President in the last one and a half weeks to intervene in the hiccups delaying the convention
All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders are rallying to keep the party on track for its crucial national convention following Thursday’s warning by President Muhammadu Buhari that the party should keep its house in order ahead of next year’s elections.
Governors elected on the platform of the APC yesterday met with Buhari, 24 hours after his warning as part of the efforts to resolve the logjam holding up the convention.
A follow-up meeting of the governors has been scheduled for Wednesday to pick a definite date for the convention.
The meeting was originally planned for tomorrow.
Buhari personally asked for the convention timetable from the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party, The Nation gathered yesterday.
This came as some members of the party approached the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) from holding the national convention next month.
Simultaneously, the Director-General, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, wrote a memo to the APC hierarchy, asking the CECPC to proceed with the convention plan or resign.
It was learnt that some governors, including an influential one, had reached out to the President in the last one and a half weeks to intervene in the hiccups delaying the convention.
According to investigations, Buhari had received representations from some governors and party leaders on the danger of not holding the APC National Convention on time.
It was learnt that the President was no longer comfortable with the delay of the convention.
A top source said yesterday: “The dilly-dallying over APC National Convention may soon end because President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the Caretaker Committee to come up with a timetable for the convention.
“The President’s directive might have been informed by representations from some governors and stakeholders to him in the past few weeks.
“The representations and looming stress in the party made the President to warn APC leaders and members on Thursday of the consequences of disunity in the party.
“If the Caretaker Committee can draw a timeline, there will be less tension in the party. Let us hope something will be done.”
But a Presidency source said: “I have not been told that (the directive)”, while a state governor said he was aware that the President “has taken action and given advisory to the Caretaker Committee to act on a timeline for the convention.”
The governor added: “We have got a notice of a meeting of APC governors on Sunday in Abuja. We will discuss the advisory of the President and agree on a date for the convention.
A governor said: “We have reached a critical point to save the party and the CECPC from rebellion. Some of us are becoming impatient with the conduct of the Caretaker Committee, but we do not want a full blown crisis in APC.
“A few of us have gone to the President to give him the other side of the way the party is being managed and the danger ahead.
“Ordinarily, the Chairman of CECPC, Governor Mai Mala Buni, is a good man who cannot hurt a fly. But some of our leaders are taking advantage of his broad-mindedness to misdirect the Caretaker Committee.
“Even some governors who did not know how APC was formed are neck-deep in trying to hijack the activities of the Caretaker Committee.” (The Nation)
