2023: APC governors rally round Buni-led caretaker team

Emmanuel AmudaJune 18, 2021

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Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday pre-empted a change in the party’s national leadership by tacitly giving Mai Mala Buni a nod to continue as interim chairman.

Ahead of the 2023 presidential election, camps within APC are seeking control of the leadership, with moves for a national convention to elect a new national working committee (NWC) being pursued by some of the interested candidates.

It was learnt that one of the presidential hopefuls had been canvassing the dissolution of the caretaker/extraordinary planning committee (CECPC), which was appointed in June 2020 after the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC.

CECPC’s six-month tenure was extended for another six months in December 2020.

It was expected that the committee would be dissolved to pave the way for a substantive NWC, but the majority of the governors are still backing Buni’s interim leadership.

Oshiomhole was close to Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos who is believed to be eyeing presidency in 2023.

Tinubu is said to be rooting for Tanko Al-Makura, former governor of Nasarawa state, as the next chairman of the party.

However, the governors passed what could be called “a vote of confidence” on the CECPC led by Buni, governor of Yobe state and former national secretary of the party.

The governors commended the Buni-led CECPC for doing a “wonderful job” so far by stabilising the party.

Buni was also commended by the governors for attracting serving and former governors, as well as senators and members of house of reps, into the party.

They resolved to “encourage” the leadership to continue its strides “in piloting the party to its next level”.

The governors were non-committal on the push for a national convention, saying instead that the national executive committee (NEC) — the party’s highest decision-making organ — could be convened to discuss it if necessary.