Governor Mai Buni, the Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), has returned to Nigeria after his Wednesday meeting with President Muhammadu Bubari in London.
On his arrival, Buni, the Yobe State governor, lauded Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger for effectively managing the party’s affairs in his absence.
While speaking with newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, Buni, said activities at the party’s national secretariat did not stop in his absence because Bello was fully in charge.
He spoke at the end of a closed-door meeting with Bello and some stakeholders of the party at the Yobe Governor’s Lodge.
Buni, who just returned from medical treatment in Dubai, in an earlier statement said he duly transferred leadership of the APC CECPC to the Niger governor before traveling.
“Therefore, all actions and measures taken by the committee under his leadership as Acting Chairman remain effective,’’ he had said.
He called for support and understanding of the party’s members to move it forward to a successful National Convention slated for March 26.
“You know that since I travelled the party has not stopped. His Excellency Gov. Abubakar Bello has done very well in managing the affairs of the party.
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“We discuss the issues going forward, we are now at the finishing line in the preparations for our national convention.
“We are putting heads together to achieve this task ahead. I want to emphasise that the March 26 National Convention date is sacrosanct,” Buni said.
On the absence of Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, Secretary of the APC CECPC at the meeting, Buni said it was an informal meeting not a meeting of the committee.
“You know that this is not a formal meeting of the committee, these members of the CECPC just came to welcome me back to the country and wish me well after returning from a medical trip outside the country.
“So, it is not a formal meeting that one will ask whether the secretary is here or not, however, he was in my house earlier today,” Buni said.
On his part, Bello said he had been acting as chairman of CECPC in the last one week, saying that a lot of progress was made towards the party’s forthcoming National Convention within the period.
This, he said, included the inauguration of the party’s State Chairmen, adoption of some of the zoning formula, and some other decisions of the CECPC taken before Buni travelled out of the country.
“I can tell you for free that in the last one week, we have ensured that we are good to go for convention,” Bello stressed.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that new national executives were expected to be elected at the party’s national convention to manage its affairs currently being managed by the CECPC.
