APC Ward Congresses may be cancelled as Osinbajo leads APC Governors, Ministers on safe option for party after Supreme Court ruling on Caretaker Chairman
* Buni dashes to Villa on eve of Congresses to consult VP
*No directives to Malami
On the instruction of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo has been working tirelessly to find a safe option to resolve the internal political crisis that came on the heels of the Supreme Court ruling last week on the fate of the current All Progressives Congress (APC) national Caretaker leadership.
Informed party sources explained last night that already the Vice President has been holding consultations with party leaders and Governors on a solution that will save the party from future legal traps and that would, at the same time be acceptable to all stakeholders within the APC.
As early as Friday last week, the Vice President first held a legal review session with lawyers in the Federal cabinet where the issue was discussed exhaustively. He later also engaged in wide consultations with APC Governors just before the Ward Congresses of Saturday.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State was also reported to have made his way to the Villa over the weekend with the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to explain the stance of the current party leadership to the Vice President after efforts to reach him had failed earlier on Friday.
It is believed that the Vice President, who has been asked to resolve the matter by the President, is intent on ensuring that the party benefits from what seems to be a legal warning from the Supreme Court ruling which had a 4-3 verdict with the justices questioning the constitutional validity of a sitting Governor holding such an executive post as national party Caretaker Chairman.
While a last minute cancellation of the Congresses was on the table on Friday night, APC Governors were said to have explained to the Vice President that majority of them would rather prefer to go on with the Congresses even though some felt strongly that an outright cancellation of the Congresses would be inevitable if it went ahead.
A source who is aware of the ongoing consultations said it is not true that the Vice President directed the Attorney General on the matter especially since the AGF is not a party official. As for Governor Buni, there was no communication between the Vice President and him until late Friday night when he reached out to the Vice President around midnight. But by then the Governors had already argued for the continuation of the Congresses, although some Governors including one from the North had strongly spoken against proceeding with the Ward Congresses.
A top Villa source said last night that “the Vice President is of the firm view that the Supreme Court ruling last week is a clear legal ditch which is best avoided. And he wants to ensure that the interest of the party is what is paramount, hoping that all stakeholders would eventually find a way out of the situation in the interest of Nigerians who have reposed so much confidence and support in the party.”
