By Henry Umoru

In what appears to be a soft move to provide soft landing for the embattled Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State and the immediate past leader of Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Senate Caucus of the party said Wednesday that the seeming storm in the party was over.

Rising from a meeting that lasted three hours in room 301 of the New Senate Wing, the APC Senate Caucus Governor Mai Mala Buni remains the substantive Chairman of Caretaker / Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the party.

The meeting was attended by the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, his Deputy, Ovie Omo – Agege, the Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, and other principal officers, adopted seven-point communique geared towards dousing any form of tension in the party.

The caucus specifically resolved to meet with CECPC of the party, Leaders of Governors Fora, and aspirants/ candidates from this coming weekend.

Speaking with Journalists yesterday after a second-day running emergency meeting of the APC Senators, the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, APC, Kebbi North said that various issues facing the party were exhaustively deliberated upon with clear indication of peace ahead of March 26, 2022, National Convention of the party.

Recall that crisis got to an anti-climax on Monday when Governor Sani Bello of Niger State took over the control of APC following the removal of Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, who has been in charge of the ruling party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.

Abdullahi said, “These are trying times for major political parties in the country, the very reason we in the APC as Senate caucus met for second day running this week towards required collaboration with other stakeholders for unity of purpose in the party ahead of the coming National Convention and 2023 general elections.

“Required strategies have been mapped out by the caucus to bring all interests groups together in making the party stronger and well-positioned for the 2023 general elections.

“The reported storm in the party by the media is not true as there was no leadership crisis.

“Governor Buni to us remains the Chairman of National Caretaker / Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the Party.

“He will resume in that capacity any moment he returns from Dubai where he went for medical check.

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“Governor Sani Bello who is acting in that capacity now is doing so to avoid vacuum in leadership and most importantly, to put in place required arrangements for the forthcoming National Convention of the party 17 days from now.”

Earlier in the seven-point Communique signed by the Senate Leader after the meeting, the APC Caucus resolved to “constitute itself into a platform for articulating and canvassing the major challenges of unity, and sense of purpose that are required for the Party to win the 2023 General Elections.

“Engage all Leaders, Members, and Stakeholders of the Party to come together and subordinate their ambitions and egos to larger interests of the Party in the run-up to the 2023 Elections;

“To consult the National Party Leadership on zoning and other pre-election issues and processes in order to attain an all-inclusive process of selecting the best material for leadership of the Party and Government;

“Engage the various Governors’ Fora (Northern, Southern, and National) in order to articulate and focus on issues of Party unity and cohesion that are necessary for winning Local and National Elections;

“Assist the National Leadership in devising ways and means of addressing and resolving outstanding disputes that emerged from Ward, Local Government, and State Congresses. This is with a view to ensuring that the APC wins control of the Federal Government by winning the highest number of votes and control of at least two-thirds of all the States of the Federation;

“Provide a platform for all aspirants and candidates for Party and Government positions to articulate their message and campaign issues to Members of the Caucus;

“Arrange regular meetings with Mr. President on matters bothering on Party and governance issues as they affect the Senate in particular and the National Assembly in general.

“In order to actualize the above programme of action, the Caucus shall operate at two levels;
Senate Leadership (6) and 12 National Executive; Council Members representing the six geo-political zones; Full Members (70) of the Caucus.”

Vanguard News Nigeria