Court reaffirms legality of Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee

…Upholds Supreme Court judgment validating the CECPC

A Federal High Court, sitting in Port-Harcourt, Rivers  State, Southern Nigeria, has struck out the suit challenging the competence of the Governor Mai Mala Buni led Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The presiding Judge, Justice Pheobe Msuen Ayua, struck out the name of National Chairman of the APC, the National Working Committee of the party, as well as the National Secretary, Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee, sued as 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants for being non-juristic persons.

Earlier, on the 15th day of October 2021, Delta State High Court of Justice struck out an action filed by Elvis Ayomanor and others, challenging the APC Ward, LGA and State Congresses.

Also, Delta State High Court presided over by Justice G.B Briki-Okolosi on the 22nd of December, 2021, struck out Suit No: A/139/ 2021, between Chukwusa Edafe Matthew & 14 other Versus APC & others to set aside APC Ward, LGA and State Congresses in Delta State.

The Court held that the action is non-justiciable and incurably incompetent because the substratum of the matter borders on the internal affairs of the All Progressives Congress.

The Federal High Court ruling has put to rest issues surrounding the legality of the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee.

It would be recalled that the ruling party has been enmeshed in some power play as different blocs aim for the head of the party ahead of the 2023 elections, suggesting there is crisis in the party.

But in response to the crisis theory in the party, a chieftain of the party and Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr Kingsley Fanwo dismissed suggestions of crisis in the party.

Fanwo who made the clarifications on People, Politics and Power, a political program on the African Independent Television last Friday and monitored by our correspondents; said what is happening in the party is not unexpected.

“The party is not in any form of crisis. What we have is an attrition of interests which is normal in a ruling party that many believe will continue to lead Nigeria beyond 2023.

“The Mai Mala Buni leadership of the party has done very well in stabilizing the party and attracting political heavyweights into the party. PDP is saying there is problem in APC, and their Governors, Senators and other heavyweights are dumping their party for  the ruling APC. Who is in crisis here?

“Crisis ridden parties are not naturally attractive. So Nigerians know which party is struggling and lamenting. If they think Nigerians have forgotten how they destroyed this country, they will know better in 2023”, he said.

The APC chieftain also hailed the Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC for organizing  very successful Congresses from the Ward to the State level, assuring party members that the CECPC is trusted to “deliver a National Convention to remember.”