…Removes CECPC members from Coordinating sub-c’ttee
…How Yobe Gov’s absence caused cash crunch at secretariat
In his second major move to assert himself as National Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Yobe Governor, Mai Mala Buni has dumped the national convention sub-committee list earlier adopted by the CECPC acting National Chairman, Gov. Abubakar Sani Bello.
He has also removed other members of the CECPC from the Central Coordinating sub-committee, naming only himself and CECPC National Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe as Chairman and Secretary of the sub-committee.
Bello had, in Buni’s absence, on March 9 inaugurated about 20 sub-committees, declaring their membership composition as final.
However, Buni whose mandate was given a fresh boost by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday via a letter to the APC governors, had in his first major move cancelled the National Executive Committee NEC meeting slated for Thursday.
He followed up on Thursday morning by dumping Bello’s sub-committees and reverting to his own original list.
Bello had in his list dropped some people including Chief Femi Fani-Kayode while he rejigged composition of the other sub-committees.
However, Gov. Babajide Sanwoolu of Lagos State who was removed as Chairman of Media and Publicity Subcommittee to head the Finance Subcommittee has now reverted to his initial role courtesy of the new list.
Fani-Kayode has also now been reappointed as Deputy Chairman of the committee as opposed to Bello’s list which had named the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed as co-Chairman.
In the new list, the Buni-led committee also dropped Kano state Governor, Umar Abdullahi Ganduje as Chairman of the Protocol sub-committee, naming instead, the Kogi state Governor as Chairman of the Security/Protocol sub-committee. Ganduje will now revert to his earlier role as Chairman, Subcommittee on Accreditation of Volunteers/Diplomats/Diaspora/ Observers.
Cash crunch
Meanwhile, safe for Buhari’s decision to tow the path of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC on Wednesday, the ruling party was facing a cash crunch, a development which could have threatened the March 26 national convention as well as stalled the payment of staff salaries.
Gov. Buni as National Chairman is the one with the mandate to sign cheques and approve funds for party activities.
Also, the National Secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe who has the powers to approve some funds for the running of the secretariat had refused to do so following his non-recognition by Bello’s camp.
Vanguard
