By David Lawani and Nathaniel Zacchaeus, Abuja
A former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator James Akpanudoedehe, has maintained that he remains the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) Secretary until President Muhammadu Buhari gives him a directive to the contrary.
According to him, he will only tender his resignation amid fears and counter-claim flying in the air that he has thrown in the towel in the APC’s administration.
Akpanudoedehe, who was in the party’s secretariat to brief the press corps, was yesterday quoted as stating that he and his chairman had done a lot for the party, raising it from a ‘dead zone’ that it was before being rebuilt and remodelled through registration of over 41 million members of the party.
The APC scribe said, “I have read on social media that I have resigned as Secretary of the CECPC. I want to state that it is not true that I didn’t resign. If I had resigned, you would have seen my letter of resignation written by me. Someone cannot just say somebody is dead when he is alive.
“I am not bigger than the party, or bigger than the president who is the leader of the country. I am waiting for my national chairman to come back.”
He added, “We have done so much for this party. When we inherited this party, if you can recall, it was at its lowest ebb. We build the party and recover a lot of grounds. We were able to register 41 million members. And we bought this secretariat for the party.
“We have been able to recover what we lost. We lost and brought in a lot of governors. All the states we lost, we brought in two weeks.
“We have been able to go round this country and the constitution, which was a difficult thing to do, we have done it in less than one year.”
The former APC scribe explains that through their leadership, they have been reconciling aggrieved members of the party, adding that it is not the first time there is a show of power play in the party.
“We have done reconciliations, ward, local governments, and state congresses. And we are about to do the national convention. This is not the first time you are seeing a power play.
“I am waiting for the chairman. If we have a directive from the president that we should resign, we are not bigger than the president, we will do so if we hear from him. Somebody cannot say go and announce he is resigning. Like MKO Abiola used to say, you don’t have someone’s head in his absence. So, we have done so much.
“And you will agree with me that when we came in, this place was like a dead zone. The secretariat was moved to a private home. But we were committed to what we were doing.
Akpanudoedehe further stated, “I am stating here that the breaking news is not from me. I don’t know who announced it.
“Our relationship is very cordial. I don’t have any load. I come here, and I leave. I have never changed my furniture. The photograph is official. I have not packed anything. I have not received any letter.”
On staff jubilation, he said: “I am not aware of that”.
It will be recalled that it is about 20 months since APC Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) under Mai Mala Buni and Senator John James Akpanudoedehe was first appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to oversee the affairs of the party.
Both the chairman and secretary have been alleged to be planning to perpetually remain in office to ensure that the convention slated for March 26 does not see the light of the day, hence the aggrieved caucus decided to relieve them of their positions so that the party can move forward.
•Senators worry over party crisis
Meanwhile, senators on the platform of the APC yesterday described the party’s crisis as worrisome.
They have vowed to commence peace moves and held a closed-door meeting after plenary at Senate Room 301 to deliberate on the crisis.
The lawmakers, however, said the Niger State governor, Sani Bello, was merely acting for the ailing Governor Mai Mala Buni, as chairman of the party’s caretaker committee.
They, therefore, urged all stakeholders to exercise caution to avoid any incident that could prevent the conduct of the March 26 convention of the party.
Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi, said, “APC senators met for about two hours. We are too worried about what is happening in our party and we expressed our concern over the challenges facing the party, very close to its national convention.
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“We were thought of as very important stakeholders in the party. We want to draw the attention of everyone involved to come together and unite so that we can have a very successful convention at the party.
“This is not the time for exchanging regrets about what we could do. What is happening is about the future of our party and government, and also the capacity of our party to win elections in 2023.
“We have sat down as important stakeholders as a caucus in this great party, to dissect all the issues that have been affecting our party since the formation of the caretaker extraordinary convention planning committee.
“We are quite aware of the challenges that they have faced, and we are also aware of the successes that the committee has recorded particularly when it comes to registration of members.
“They came to harmonise some of the successes of the party, carrying out congresses at the ward, local government, and at the state levels. The same convention planning committee is in place.
“What we realised is that the chairman of the convention planning committee has been sick, and he went for a medication check-up.”
According to him, “The current Niger State Governor, from the grapevine and from the knowledge that is available to us, is the deputy chairman, and in the absence of the chairman, he is acting till the chairman comes back. The speculation in the papers is not exactly true.
“What we are concerned about is the seeming disarray in the party. So, from our standing coming from all the states in Nigeria, we have to come and establish a national platform where all these things can be articulated so that all of us will come up with one mind and strategise for the success of the party.
“All personal and individual bitter struggles for power are subordinated to the chances of the party. Party interest. So that the party would be strong. We are the strongest party, we have the largest membership. Therefore, we should move as much as possible to make sure that our party is united in the interest of every member.”
He said further, “We commend the performance of that committee. We ask you to do more by as much as possible by trying to reconcile those chapters where there are still challenges trailing the ward, local government, and state congresses.
“This is because a loss in any state is a loss for the party. We cannot afford to come to the convention as a divided entity. Anywhere some challenges could cost the party its victory is a loss for everybody.”
