TheCable

Salihu Lukman, a former director-general of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), says Mai Mala Buni, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker committee, does not want the party’s convention to hold.

The convention is billed for February 26.

TheCable had reported that Buni may not relinquish control of the party anytime soon.

In a statement issued on Monday, Lukman said with only a few days to the exercise, the convention’s sub-committees have not been put in place.

He said the Yobe governor is working with some governors and “Yahoo Yahoo politicians” to prevent the convention from holding as scheduled.

“There is so much uncertainty created, just to ensure that the party is manipulated to meet the aspirations of these dishonest leaders. Sales of forms to aspiring candidates for party offices to be contested at the national convention was to commence on Monday, February 14, 2014,” the statement reads.

“The speculation was that forms cannot be sold until zoning of offices is finalised. Following the departure of President Muhammadu Buhari to the EU-AU Summit in Brussels, the argument became that zoning will only be finalised after his return.

“Then it became that there was disagreement among governors on zoning. The latest is that some governors are opposed to some offices of the party coming to their zones because of their presidential or vice-presidential ambitions.

“As things are, today being February 21, 2022, the National Convention is just five days away. Sub-committees to handle specific responsibilities of organising the Convention were expected to have been announced on Saturday, February 19, 2022.

“No information has been provided by the CECPC. Now that President Buhari has returned from the EU-AU Summit, the old deceptive argument about Governors having meetings with President Buhari to decide on zoning and other matters related to the convention has started again.

“It is clear that Mai Mala Buni is opposed to organising the APC National Convention on February 26, 2022 or any time soon. Consequently, he is working with other dishonest leaders, notably, Yahaya Bello, Hope Uzodinma, Dapo Abiodun and a few others.

“It is a mutiny against the authority of the party and all its designated leaders, especially President Buhari, being carried by very dishonest people who can best be described as Yahoo Yahoo politicians.”

In response, Mamman Mohammed, an aide of Buni, said: “Salihu cannot love APC more than the President, my principal and the progressive governors who are painstakingly working for the party.”