Buhari meets Buni in London; Backs CECPC Chairman, warns APC Governors against divisive utterances
By Abubakar Ahmed/ Ismaila Chafe
Abuja, March16, 2022
Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe on Wednesday visited President Muhammadu Buhari in London, where he is currently on a medical check up.
This is contained in a release by the Director-General, Press and Media Affairs to Buni, Malam Mohammed Mamman in Abuja on Wednesday.
Mamman said that Buni, also the Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) had been in Dubai, UAE on a medical trip before he flew to London to meet with Buhari.
“Buni had a brief stop over in London after a medical trip to Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
“Their Excellencies, Buhari and Buni held brief and fruitful discussions on measures to move APC forward preparatory to the March 26 National Convention and the 2023 General Elections.
“Buni is expected back in Nigeria on Thursday, to resume office as the Chairman APC CECPC,” he said.
Meanwhile, President Buhari has called on Governors of the APC to stop further utterances that lead to disunity ahead of the National Convention.
A statement by the President’s spokesman, Mr. Femi Adesina, on Wednesday in Abuja, quoted a letter personally signed by the president, addressed to Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.
Bagudu is also the Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum.
The letter was also copied to the Chairman of Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee (CECC), the Acting Chairman of the CECC, Gov. Sani Bello, the Director General of the DSS as well as the Inspector General of Police.
In the letter, the president said the multiplicity of cases currently rocking the party had the prospect of invalidating the activities and actions of the party by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The president said that since the party could not change the leadership of the CECC without infringing on the time limit set by INEC, and the fact that the current uncertainties and controversies “pose a real threat to the party,” he has therefore directed as follows:
– “The issue of the leadership of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee (CECC) should immediately return to status quo ante;
– “All members of the Governors Forum and their followers should desist from any behaviour or utterance that will likely lead to disunity in the ranks of the party, and ultimately jeopardise the transition to the convention;
– “The Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee should accordingly be allowed to proceed with all necessary preparations to hold the convention as planned- unfailingly on March 26, 2022.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidency also announced the meeting between the president and the Chairman of the CECC, Buni, in London via pictorial reports.
