By Saminu Ibrahim
Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Honourable Maimala Buni has said the APC will soon shock Nigeria’s political space with massive and unprecedented defections ever witnessed in the political history of Nigeria.
Buni, who is the governor of Yobe state added that APC will remain Nigeria’s leading political party.
He observed that the reconciliation exercise by the committee, as part of its interventions demands the internal resolution of disputes within the party and called for all court cases against the party be withdrawn from the courts to allow internal settlement of the various disputes.
The Yobe governor spoke on Wednesday at a consultative meeting of the party with the APC Senate Caucus in Abuja.
He said his Committee (CECPC) has collated all such cases including identifying the parties to the disputes and litigations, saying it has made schedules for the immediate withdrawal of litigations while equally setting out procedures for hearing out all the aggrieved members, including creating a neutral ground for all to voice out their grievances.
“As at today, the party has recorded a large number of completely resolved intra- party disputes while others are ongoing with strong prospects of resolving them” he said. Commenting on the APC membership register, Buni said “It is regrettable that since the initial membership registration exercise of 2013, the party today lacks authentic register in all the 36 states including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
“It is a common knowledge that some members who left the party in 2018 and joined the opposition party, still have their names adorning the party register.
“Similarly, many others who joined the party from 2014 to date do not have their names in the register.
“It therefore becomes imperative for the party to revalidate its membership register, expunge names of those who had left the party and include those who have joined the party from 2014 to date in compliance with Article 9:4 of the Party Constitution.
“The annual membership dues payment, which has almost been totally neglected overtime, is a clear violation of Article 9:1(I) of the Party Constitution” he said.
He explained that the committee finds the membership revalidation exercise as necessary to capture all members to promote internal democracy in the party.
“I am glad to inform you that preliminary plans had been concluded for the commencement of the first phase of the exercise in the next few weeks with the expectation to cover members both within the country and those in diaspora”.
On the party’s constitution “just like the membership revalidation exercise, the need for amendment of the Party Constitution and ensure its readiness for presentation to NEC for approval before the expiration of the committee’s tenure is quite necessary for the growth and development of the party”.
He maintained that the committee has set up a high powered committee made up of eminent party leaders, legal practitioners and experts to study the reviewed Constitution and to make recommendations to the effect of the necessary amendments.
He however lauded the support and cooperation received from President Muhammadu Buhari, the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo, President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, the Speaker House of representatives Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, and members of the National Assembly APC caucus.
Others are, Progressives Governors forum, former leaders, elders, stakeholders and members of the party across the country.
