The All Progressives Congress (APC) will hold its national convention slated for March 26, notwithstanding non-recognition of its new leadership by INEC, says a member of the party’s Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Ismail Ahmed.

Mr Ahmed, also the party’s National Youth Leader, said APC has not fallen short of the law with respect to appointing Niger governor Abubakar Bello to replace Yobe governor Mai Mala Buni as interim national chairman.

The INEC in a letter, had rejected an invitation to an emergency meeting of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC) ahead of its national convention.

The commission drew the attention of the APC CECPC to the fact that the letter of invitation was not signed by Governor Mai Mala Buni, the National Chairman APC CECPC, and its Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, in accordance with extant laws.

Mr Ahmed, however, said the APC had complied with all the rules and had appropriately notified INEC, adding that it is no longer an issue.

He added that Professor Tahir Maman, who oversees the party’s legal department would speak on the issue in due time.

“APC national convention would hold on March 26. I’m not only a youth leader, I’m also a lawyer. And we have served a notice to INEC for the 26th of February earlier.

“We served that notice on Feb. 5 and that was the required 21 days. If you are going to make any adjustment to that date all you need is a letter making an adjustment to the date.

“You don’t need another 21 days and that letter was written about two weeks ago, when we realised that we couldn’t hold it on Feb. 26.

“The moment the CECPC agreed on March 26 as the date for the  national convention, that letter was written to INEC. INEC has accepted that letter. So that is long gone; it is not an issue,” he explained.

On the current position of Mr Buni, Mr Ahmed said he was only on medical leave and would resume soon, wondering why it was difficult for some individuals to believe that.

He explained that since the inauguration of the CECPC on June 25, 2020, Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger had always acted whenever Buni was absent.

“It has always been the case, that has never changed, and now we have a convention on March 26, the chairman wrote a letter to go for medical treatment and transmitted power to Bello.

“These are two emergencies, he has a medical emergency that cannot wait for convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy, so one has to leave for the other.

“Gov. Bello has been acting appropriately and there is no problem about that,” Mr Ahmed said, wondering why people are making an issue out of the development.

He added that Mr Bello was acting with the full authority of the APC CECPC and the party’s stakeholders, leaders and with the full consent and knowledge of Mr Buni.

“For now we are doing it with the full authority and backing of the law, so there is no ambiguity in this, absolutely none,” Mr Ahmed said.

(NAN)