TheCable

Abubakar Sani Bello, governor of Niger state, says he has been acting as the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee “for a while now”.

Bello said this on Monday after presiding over a meeting of the party’s national caretaker committee at the APC national secretariat in Abuja.

“Acting chairman, I have been acting for a while since the chairman travelled,” he said when asked if he has taken charge of the party.

When he was pressed further, he said: “No comment.”

The Niger governor also administered the oath of office on chairpersons of the party in the states — a function Mai Mala Buni, Yobe governor, would have conducted.

“The state chairmen took their oath of office today and we discussed progress made so far on convention and what needs to be done next so that we will achieve the March 26 date for convention,” he said.

I am currently presiding over the Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee of the APC at the National Secretariat of the Party. pic.twitter.com/FBYlvkyWrw

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— Abubakar Sani Bello (@abusbello) March 7, 2022

Earlier, John Akpanudoedehe, national secretary of the caretaker committee, dismissed reports there had been a change in leadership.

“Our attention has been drawn to sponsored media reports on an imaginary leadership change in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC),” Akpanudoedehe had said.

“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.”