APC Crisis: Buni Out, Bello In

By James Orji

Governor Sani Bello of Niger state has taken over the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Party, APC. He took over on Monday following the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari and some governors under the banner of the party to replace the 21 months old care taker committee led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state.

Yekini Nabena, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the party had earlier debunked reports on Sunday that President Buhari has approved the removal of Buni, who the magazine learnt is currently in Germany on a medical trip.

Also on Monday, the CECPC Secretary, Senator John Akpan Akpankudohede denied the removal of Buni.

The magazine learnt that the president gave the go ahead to remove Buni before he embarked on a medical trip to the United Kingdom, UK on Sunday.

But speaking on the issue earlier today Akpankudohede dismissed the leadership change as a rumour.

“Our attention has been drawn to sponsored media reports of an imaginary leadership change in the APC CECPC. The media report is fake news and should be disregarded.

“The APC is a progressive political party guided by rules. Leadership changes are not announced by ‘sources’ through name dropping in the media,” Akpankudohede said

The story however changed not long after the former senator spoke that Governor Bello arrived the party’s National Secretariat, Abuja where he was said to have president over a meeting of NEC.

Before he arrived the party’s secretariat, anti-riots policemen and other security operatives were said to have taken over to forestall any breach of peace.

“The presence of security men you observed at the secretariat was from the above to prevent any break down of law and order. Obviously, the presidency wanted to forestall any disorder in the nation’s capital due to the change of guard in the APC,” a source in the ruling party said.

Meanwhile, sources in the party told the magazine that the major reason while Governor Buni-led CECPC was changed may not be unconnected with his reluctance to conduct a National Convention.

Even though the party has now fixed the Convention for March 26, some leaders of the party had expressed fears that the CECPC was not prepared to go ahead with it, as Governor Buni and other members of his team were already contemplating moving it forward to a later date, various sources in the party said.

Recall that President Buhari had in an interview with a television station in January, warned that the party could lose power if it failed to put its acts together.

The president was particularly not happy with the sit tight attitude of Governor Buni, close to two years after his appointment as CECPC chairman, close sources said.

Meanwhile, it was learnt on Monday that the new APC leadership may request for more time to prepare for the National Convention.