El-Rufai says 19 APC governors endorsed Buni’s removal as caretaker chairman

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has explained the reasons Mai Mala Buni, the All Progressives Congress (APC) caretaker chairman had to be removed.

El-Rufai while speaking on a Channels Television programme, ‘Politics Today’ on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, said certain actions and inactions of Yobe State Governor were hindrances to the plan of the ruling party to hold its convention this month.

He added that 19 of the 23 governors elected on the ticket of the party supported the removal of Buni to prevent the party from collapsing.

Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari recently ordered the immediate removal of Buni and the installment of Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State as the acting chairman.

El-Rufai said Buni was removed after the governors informed Buhari about the Yobe Governor’s plan to postpone the party’s convention slated for March 26, through a court injunction.

He said, “We got to know of a court order last year. It was obtained in November. A member of the party went to court to say there must not be a convention until his case against the party is disposed of which can take months or years and the lawyers of Buni went to court and agreed with the person and nobody knew about this order.

“It was a hidden nuclear weapon to destroy the convention which further made us believe that there are fifth columnists in the party that want to bring this party down because if we don’t have (convention) and we go ahead with the primaries we might likely have our candidates lose all their seats as the case in Zamfara.

“We reported to the President that no action had been taken on the order. He said the Niger state governor must take over on Monday and we should use whatever legal means necessary to make sure that the convention is delivered.”

El-Rufai said since Bello took over, there has been substantial progress in the party.

“Bello has the President’s full backing and the backing of at least 19 of the 23 progressive governors and deputy governors. There are some governors not fully on board and are the ones planting fake stories. Since Monday he took over, we have substantial progress,” he said.

He added that Buhari had signed off on some recommendations including the issue of zoning but the Secretary of the caretaker committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, refused to take instructions from Governor Bello who is acting chairman.

The governor maintained that Akpanudoedehe would be dealt with when the time is right.