APC inaugurates convention committee

By Adamu Abuh and John Akubo, Abuja

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, moved closer to its March 26 national convention as the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, who now heads the party, inaugurated an 86-member committee to plan the convention.

Curiously, neither the embattled caretaker committee chairman of the party, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State nor his Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe made the revised list.

Also, the name of the former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, who was earlier listed by Buni, the penultimate week was also conspicuously absent in the new list.  

Bello, who spoke while inaugurating the committee at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, assured the party faithful of the conduct of a free and fair national convention of the party on March 26.

The Niger State Governor disabused the minds of sceptics, who believe that there would be another shift in the date of the national convention of the party.

He said: “For those of you that have been monitoring events in the national secretariat since Monday, we have started the effort to ensure that there is free and fair convention.

“I want to remind you that you have to work hard to ensure that the national convention holds on March 26, 2022. That day is sacrosanct Insha Allah.”

Conspicuously missing at the event for the first time was Akpanudoedehe, whose fate as a member of the caretaker committee hangs in the balance, despite his denial that he had been compelled to resign his position.

Bello explained that the decision to prune down the membership of the convention planning committee from over 1500 to 86 was in the best interest of the party.