The All Progressives Congress (APC) says its national
convention will hold on March 26 as planned.
Ismaeel Ahmed, youth representative and spokesperson of the
caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee (CECPC) disclosed this on
a Friday at a media briefing in Abuja.
Ahmed, who was responding to a letter addressed to the party
by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the electoral
umpire had been duly informed of the convention.
The commission rejected a notice
sent by the APC on its national executive committee (NEC) meeting scheduled to
take place on March 17.
INEC had said the Electoral Act 2022 requires political
parties to provide 21 days’ notice prior to any convention or meeting.
Speaking on the development, Ahmed said Tahir Maman, who is
in charge of APC’s legal department, would respond specifically to the issue of
INEC’s response on the NEC meeting.
He added that the electoral body had been served notice of
the convention and that there was no issue on the date.
“APC national convention would hold on March 26. I’m not
only a youth leader, I’m also a lawyer. We served a notice to INEC for the 26th
of February earlier,” he said.
“We served that notice on February 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 February 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’s not an issue.”
“It has always been
the case; that has never changed, and now we have a convention on March 26.”
He also confirmed the authenticity of the letter from Mai
Mala Buni, governor of Yobe, which requested a leave of absence and for
Abubakar Sani Bello, governor of Niger, to take over as APC caretaker committee
chairman.
“These are two emergencies. He had a medical emergency that
could not wait for the convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for
him to be healthy. So, one has to leave for other,” Ahmed said.
“Governor Bello has been acting appropriately and there is
no problem about that. For now, we are doing it with the full authority and
backing of the law. So, there is no ambiguity in this.
“Power by the
chairmanship was transmitted to governor Bello and he is fully driving it right
now and we are moving towards the convention with the speed that is needed.”
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