By Gabriel Ewepu – Abuja

The National President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Arc Kabir Ibrahim, weekend, declared Faruk Mudi’s caretaker committee of the association illegal.

This was contained in statement signed by the Ibrahim on behalf of AFAN, where he explained that the action by one of the Board of Trustees of AFAN, former Governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako, to single-handedly appoint Mudi as caretaker committee chairman of AFAN without consulting with the other two members of Board who are Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Dr Mustapha Shettima.

According to the statement 33 state elections have been conducted with four left which after there will be proper handing over to the next leadership of AFAN but the process was truncated by the appointment Nyako made.

The Statement reads in part, “While it appears rather late in the day to try to explain the real issues in AFAN especially by a person in the centre of the imbroglio it is prudent to make the following clarifications at least for those really interested in progress in the Agriculture Space and Nigeria’s Agricultural Development.

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“Elections in AFAN according to the constitution are done from Ward Level to evolve LGA executives who in turn elect State Executives who will finally elect National Officers including the National President.

“Our leadership began these elections in July 2018 to finalize them in 2019 so that the National Executive would be inaugurated as stipulated in the constitution but there were delays and several extensions to achieve this and letters and minutes of meetings by the electoral committee are available to prove this.

“At the time this issue of Nyako supporting some people to take over as a purported caretaker committee arose elections in 33 states had already been conducted with only four states to go.

“As a matter of fact, the NWC had already proposed a national electoral committee comprising 7 people for the National Elections to be approved by NEC.

“The NEC meeting of AFAN is twice in a year whereas the NWC meets quarterly and special NWC meetings can take place anytime the need arise.

“The registered Trustees of AFAN alive today are Admiral Nyako and Dr Shettima Mustafa whereas the added trustee alive after the GAF in Kano is Senator Abdullahi Adamu.

“These two were not consulted by Nyako before he appointed the so-called caretaker committee and this is provable.

“The decision by Nyako was unilateral and taken in his house without convening or informing any of the members of the BOT which makes it unconstitutional.”

According to the statement there is no query to the AFAN National Executive or any letter to AFAN on any breach of the constitution regarding election from the Chairman of the BOT.

“As a matter of fact there is no information to us of his purported action and no response to our several letters to him on the issue.

“To the shear surprise of the legitimately elected AFAN members the people who met Nyako included only 5 elected AFAN chairmen and a hired crowd including Faruk Rabiu Mudi who is a persona non grata in AFAN because he was dismissed from his Chapter  when he took it (AFAN Kano State Chapter)to court after losing election in 2016 to Abdurrashid Magaji Rimin Gado”, the statement alleged.

The statement further accused Mudi of being known to have conspired with others allegedly supported by the then Kano State commissioner of Agriculture, Dr Nasir Gawuna, now the Deputy Governor of Kano State, to register All Farmers Association of Nigeria Kano State Chapter Rc 93484 as against the All Farmers Association of Nigeria Rc 18160 registered by Nyako, Shettima and Coker.

The statement also alleged that he (Mudi) is being supported to go on with his illegality by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Nanono, which also further asserted that, “Looking at the whole scenario paints a gruesome picture of intrigues and the desire to put a cog in the wheel of AFAN which we sweat to resist and will continue to resist if need be up to the Supreme Court.

“Today for the sake of the Agriculture Industry we are ready to face an inquiry by the Agriculture family to resolve this issue in the spirit of the AFAN constitution which allows for internal conflict resolution if the enabling environment is created by genuine stakeholders!”

Meanwhile, the statement also said the Ibrahim-led AFAN is still in charge and not the caretaker committee led by Mudi.

“We are in court because we were first taken to court and the records are there for everyone to see. The court is yet to give any ruling so we remain in charge at AFAN and anyone who contemplates acting to the contrary to this is likely to incur the wrath of the law and commonsense”, it warned.

The statement declared that “The five elected AFAN chairmen who joined Faruk Rabiu Mudi to take AFAN to court are suspended as per the constitution but Faruk for not being a member of AFAN is treated as a stranger also as per AFAN constitution.”

Vanguard