INEC Denies Receiving Buni’s Handover Letter To Bello - Newstrends
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INEC Denies Receiving Buni’s Handover Letter To Bello

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Ex-INEC Chairman Yakubu Officially Assumes Office as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu

The quest by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to cover up its gaffes has suffered a setback as the  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it had not received communication from the party’s chairman, Mai Mala Buni handing over to the Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani Bello. 

Bello had on Monday taken over the party’s affairs following President Muhammadu Buhari’s alleged order to sack of Buni, who had been piloting the affairs of the party since June 2020 when the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) was sacked.

On Wednesday, Bello wrote the INEC in his capacity as the acting national chairman of the APC’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), inviting it to the party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for next week Thursday via zoom.

Swiftly, the commission replied the ruling party, saying it was not aware of leadership change and that only the duo of Buni and the secretary of the CECPC, Sen John James Akpanudoedehe, could relate to the commission on behalf of the party.

The commission, via a letter dated March 9, signed by the secretary, Mrs Rose Oriaran-Anthony, advised the ruling party to follow due process.

Daily Trust Saturday reports that the development worsened the confusion in the ruling party, and to address the situation, top shots of the party came up with the idea of the handover letter allegedly written by Buni.

The letter, it was gathered, was written in the office of one of the key functionaries of the government on Wednesday.

Dated February 28, the letter went viral on Thursday, March 10, a day after the INEC queried Bello’s communication to it.

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In the letter, Buni allegedly directed Governor Bello to act in his absence as the chairman of the CECPC because he would be away for a medical trip to Dubai.

The letter was purportedly copied the INEC and all members of the CECPC. However, Governor Bello denied receiving any letter from the embattled Governor Buni.

INEC’s national commissioner and chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, said, “We did not receive any formal letter from  the National Chairman of APC transferring power or duties.

“All registered political parties are obligated to comply with the provisions of the constitution, the Electoral Act and the Regulations and Guidelines of the Commission.

“We asked the Party to note the issues raised in our letter for compliance.” 

He told Daily Trust Saturday that registered political parties have a known and formal way they communicate to the commission.

According to him, Article 1.1.3 of INEC’s Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Political Party Operations (2018) provides that “the national chairman and national secretary of the party shall sign the notice of meetings, conventions or congresses and submit same to the commission”. 

Okoye said the commission had in its docket, the specimen signatures of national chairmen and secretaries of all the registered political parties in Nigeria.

“The letter referenced was not signed by those whose signatures are domiciled in the commission. 

“Political parties are constitutionally and legally obligated to inform the commission of any change in their leadership in accordance with the law and the constitution. 

“Furthermore, any political party that wants to effect alterations or change in its governance structure in any meeting, congress or convention must give the commission 21 days’ notice of its intention to effect such a change,” he said.  

‘Buni still in charge,’ Bello’s c’ttee makes u-turn

Our correspondent reports that after the INEC’s damning letter which punctured the anomaly in the power tussle in the ruling party, the Governor Sani Bello-led CECPC yesterday made a u-turn and said Buni remained in charge of the party.

Addressing the media at the national headquarters of the party in Abuja, the spokesman of the committee, Ismaeel Ahmed, said Buni was still the chairman.

“Somebody asked about the position of Governor Mai Mala Buni in the party. I think it is pretty simple. I don’t know why this is a complicated process for a lot of people not to understand. Since the inception of this CECPC on June 25, 2020, whenever the chairman is not around and Governor Sani Bello is around, he acts on behalf of all as the chairman.

“It has always been the case that has never changed. Now, we have a convention on March 26. The chairman wrote a letter and transmitted power to Governor Bello to enable him go for medical treatment. Those 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; whichever, he has transmitted a letter and Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. Why is it so difficult for people to understand that? I cannot understand why people are making this allegation.

Governor Bello is acting on the full authority of the caretaker committee and stakeholders, and with the full consent of Governor Mai Mala Buni. It is very clear and simple. If anybody has issues with any of our decisions, he can head to court. For now, we are doing it with the full backing of the law. So, there is no ambiguity on this, absolutely none,” he said.

Meanwhile, reacting to questions from journalists, Ismaeel Ahmed disclosed that the previously scheduled zonal congresses would now be part of the national convention. He assured that the March 26th national convention was on course and sacrosanct.

How Buhari’s directive on Yobe governor was watered down

The directive of President Buhari on the sack of Buni as chairman of the party’s caretaker committee has been watered down because of the procedural glitch around the move that might cause the party serious trouble.

Buhari had, during a meeting with some APC governors, including Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna) and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), while on his way to London for medical attention, reportedly ordered for the immediate sack of Buni for deliberately working against the March 26 national convention of the party.

While handing down the directives, the president, after he was told that Buni and his co-travellers had secured a judgement to frustrate the convention, said the Yobe governor and the party’s secretary, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, should be sacked “immediately.’’    

Daily Trust Saturday reports that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, were directed to ensure the proper implementation of the president’s directive.

The two appointees of the president were to work with the governors to carry out the assignment, it was gathered. 

They were to announce the sack of Buni and the emergence of Governor Sani Bello on Monday.

The deployment of security operatives to the APC secretariat on Monday was part of the move to implement the presidential order.

But Daily Trust Saturday gathered that a governor from the North-East moved in to save Buni from being embarrassed.

A top source said the governor went to some of his colleagues and pleaded that Buni should be given a soft-landing on the ground that the announcement of the sack would not only embarrass the Yobe governor, but it was capable of inflating the crisis in the party.

Other loyalists of Buni, including those in the presidency joined the governor in the quest to soften the directives. The North-East governor was said to have assured his colleagues that he had secured the commitment of Buni that he would not interfere and fight back.

It was based on the intervention that the Niger governor, rather than declaring himself as the new chairman of the caretaker, said he was in charge following the absence of Buni. The Yobe governor had, penultimate Wednesday, left the country for Dubai for medical attention.

Recall that when Bello took over on Monday, he said he had the blessing of the president to assume the mantle of leadership, but he was doing so because Buni had travelled.  

“I have been acting for a while since the chairman (Buni) travelled,” Bello said while responding to questions on why he presided over the party’s affairs.

Buni’s latest moves

Report has it that Buni, who has been piloting the affairs of the ruling party since June 2020, is also planning to meet Buhari in London. A credible source said this was why the Yobe governor, who ought to have returned to Nigeria on Wednesday, was not yet back.

It was, however, gathered that Buhari was in a dilemma at the moment, considering that he had already taken a stand sequel to the discovery of a court judgement said to have been ‘procured’ by the Yobe governor and his backers.

The judgement stops the party from holding the convention. 

A Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Bwari has asked the ruling party to pull brakes on the conduct of its convention pending the determination of the matter. 

“The whole thing is dicey now because if they ask Buni to leave, it would not be possible for them to conduct a legitimate convention, and this will ultimately hunt them before or after the 2023 elections.

“I think they have to basically manage themselves and learn from their mistakes. All of them are at fault because of the struggle of who gets what during the transition,” the source said.

Pro, anti-Buni take fight to London  

As the tussle persists, the pro-Yobe governor and those who are against him have taken their struggle to London to meet President Buhari, our correspondent learnt.

It was gathered that four ministers and some aides of the president who are in support of Buni travelled to London to convince the president to rescind his decision on the Yobe governor’s sack.

A source last night told our reporter that the ministers and other pro-Buni aides of the president departed the country on Thursday.

“They have gone to plead with the president to allow Buni conclude the assignment of the caretaker committee, which is to organise convention of the party,” he said.

It was also gathered that governors who met the president before his trip are preparing to go to London.

El-Rufai had on Wednesday said 19 of the 22 APC governors were in support of Buni’s removal.

Daily Trust

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Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

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August 26, 2026

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Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has thrown down the gauntlet to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, demanding that it substantiate allegations linking him to alleged wrongdoing in the controversial $16 billion power sector expenditure or cease what he describes as a campaign of political distraction. In a statement released on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku insisted that he should be investigated and prosecuted if the government possesses credible evidence against him, stressing that political accusations cannot replace proof. The former Vice President accused the Tinubu administration and its supporters of reviving decades-old allegations to divert public attention from pressing questions surrounding the management of government revenues following the removal of petrol subsidy.

Atiku noted that the National Assembly had previously investigated the power projects, but he was never invited to respond to any allegations of misconduct. “The National Assembly investigated the power projects. I was never invited to answer any allegation of wrongdoing,” he stated. He acknowledged that he chaired the National Council on Privatisation while serving as Vice President but clarified that he did not oversee the implementation of the power project. “Yes, I chaired the National Council on Privatisation as Vice President. But on the power project, I disagreed with its concept and did not preside over its implementation. The responsible minister did. The same applies to the Aluminium Smelter matter,” Atiku explained.

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The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election declared that he had repeatedly made himself available for investigation since leaving office in 2007. “I have repeatedly asked to be investigated. I left office in 2007 and have spent much of the period since then opposing governments in power. If there is evidence that I stole public money, why has no government produced it before a court?” he queried. Atiku challenged the authorities to reopen the matter if they believed there was a genuine case against him. “It is still not too late. Investigate me. Invite me. Produce the evidence. Prosecute me if you have a case. But propaganda cannot substitute for evidence,” he said.

The former Vice President linked the renewed allegations to his persistent criticism of the Federal Government’s handling of the economic consequences of petrol subsidy removal. He argued that Nigerians had been promised that eliminating the subsidy would free funds for development, but citizens had instead faced higher costs of transportation, food, and other essentials. “Today, petrol is more expensive, transportation is more expensive, food is more expensive and the purchasing power of the Nigerian worker has been devastated,” he said. Atiku further questioned how additional government revenues were being deployed, alleging that tax incentives, waivers, credits, and concessions continued to benefit powerful economic interests. “So our question remains brutally simple: where is the people’s money?” he asked. He accused the government of hypocrisy for withdrawing economic relief from ordinary Nigerians while maintaining interventions that benefited major corporate interests. “You cannot take relief away from the poor, celebrate the resulting revenue and then tell the same impoverished citizens that government intervention on their behalf is economically irresponsible while interventions benefiting powerful interests are called incentives. That hypocrisy is precisely what we are challenging,” Atiku stated.

Atiku dismissed what he described as sponsored social media attacks, insisting they would not prevent him from demanding transparency over public finances. “The people who removed subsidy from the poor cannot frighten us into silence by resurrecting allegations that governments with all the investigative machinery of the Nigerian state have had nearly two decades to establish,” he declared. He challenged the government to either substantiate the allegations or address questions over the use of funds generated after subsidy removal. “If you have evidence against Atiku, bring it. If you have a case, prosecute it. But if you have neither, stop manufacturing distractions and answer Nigerians: You removed the subsidy. You collected the savings. Where is the money?” he demanded.

Probe Me Over $16bn Power Spending If You Have Evidence – Atiku Dares FG

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Ogun 2027: Radio Interview that Triggered APC Move for Hunye’s Arrest, Prosecution 

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9 hours ago

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August 26, 2026

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Ogun 2027: Radio Interview that Triggered APC Move for Hunye’s Arrest, Prosecution 

What Happened in Osun Will Be a Child’s Play in Ogun — Hunye

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State has distanced itself from Abayomi Hunye and called for his arrest and prosecution for allegedly impersonating a governorship candidate of the party, following comments he made during a radio interview in which he vowed to challenge the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the party’s 2027 governorship candidate.

Hunye, who described himself as an APC governorship aspirant, made the comments on Tuesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

During the programme, Hunye warned that the political crisis surrounding the APC’s 2027 governorship ticket could become far more intense than the recent political upheaval witnessed in Osun State.

“They saw what happened in Osun. What happened in Osun is going to be a child’s play to what is going to happen in Ogun State in 2027,” he said.

The comments appeared to have heightened the controversy surrounding the APC governorship ticket and prompted the party to disown Hunye, insisting that he had no authority to present himself as its governorship candidate.

The party maintains that Adeola is its duly nominated candidate for the 2027 Ogun governorship election.

Hunye, however, said he remained committed to his legal challenge against the outcome of the party’s governorship primary, arguing that the dispute was fundamentally about the integrity of the process and the right of party members to participate in a free and fair contest.

According to him, political grievances cannot simply be suppressed by imposing a preferred candidate on party members.

“What happened in Osun was the same thing. You cannot deprive people of their rights and want them to now keep quiet. They will not keep quiet,” he said.

Hunye also accused Governor Dapo Abiodun and the APC leadership of imposing Adeola on other aspirants, challenging the party to subject the senator to a transparent primary if he was genuinely popular among party members.

“He imposed him on us. And you want to force us to obey it. If you agree that he is popular, let the primaries be free and fair. And if he wins the primary, everybody will agree,” Hunye said.

He maintained that his court action was not driven solely by personal ambition, but by what he described as the need to ensure that the APC’s candidate emerged through a credible and acceptable process.

Hunye further claimed that opposition to Adeola’s emergence extended beyond his camp, alleging that some members of Governor Abiodun’s cabinet were also unhappy with the development.

“Quite a number of people in Dapo Abiodun’s cabinet are with us. They are not happy. People are not happy,” he claimed.

The radio interview has since become central to the latest development in the dispute, with the APC using Hunye’s public statements and his self-description as an aspirant to reinforce its position that he has no mandate to speak or act as the party’s governorship candidate.

The controversy comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 Ogun governorship election, with the APC leadership seeking to consolidate support around Adeola while the internal dispute over the primary process continues to generate tension.

Hunye’s warning that the situation in Ogun could surpass the political crisis witnessed in Osun has also added a new dimension to the dispute, raising concerns about the possibility of further confrontation within the ruling party if the grievances of aggrieved aspirants and their supporters remain unresolved.

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APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

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16 hours ago

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August 26, 2026

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APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

I’m ready to honour police invitation – Hunye

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), demanding the arrest, investigation and prosecution of Mr. Abayomi Hunye over his alleged impersonation as the party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State for the 2027 general elections.

The ruling party also urged the security agencies to stop Hunye from further parading himself as its candidate, warning that his continued claim could mislead the public, undermine electoral integrity and potentially threaten public peace in the state.

The development followed Hunye’s recent declaration at an event in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, where he reportedly presented himself as the APC governorship candidate for the 2027 election and unveiled Chief Abayomi Odunowo as his purported running mate.

The APC had on Monday publicly disowned Hunye, describing his claim as mischievous and insisting that he was not its governorship candidate.

In separate petitions dated August 24 and signed by the party’s Director of Administration, Ayoola Olajolo, the APC asked the police and DSS to urgently intervene in the matter.

In the petition to the Inspector-General of Police, the party described Hunye’s action as a “grave threat to public peace and electoral integrity,” alleging that he had been using both traditional and social media platforms to parade himself as the party’s candidate.

The APC stated: “The Subject has notoriously and unlawfully taken to the public domain, including print and social media, parading himself as the governorship candidate of our party for the forthcoming January 2027 election.

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“I wish to state unequivocally that this claim is false, fraudulent, and a deliberate act of impersonation designed to mislead the public and destabilise the peace of Ogun State.”

The party further alleged that Hunye had been suspended from the APC on April 7, 2026, following a petition from his Tube Ward in Ipokia Local Government Area.

According to the APC, the suspension was subsequently ratified by the Ogun State Working Committee and communicated to the party’s national headquarters.

The party also maintained that it had conducted its governorship primary election in the state and that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola and Mrs Balogun Abiodun remained its recognised governorship candidate and running mate respectively.

Consequently, the APC asked the police to invite Hunye for questioning and investigate what it described as possible offences arising from his conduct.

The party specifically requested that the security agency investigate and prosecute him, where appropriate, for alleged impersonation, conduct likely to cause a breach of peace and alleged violation of the Electoral Act, 2026.

It also urged the police to restrain Hunye from further presenting himself as the APC candidate in order to prevent what it described as a possible breakdown of law and order in Ogun State.

The party pledged to cooperate fully with the investigation and provide additional statements or evidence that may be required.

Meanwhile, reports that Hunye had gone into hiding after security operatives allegedly visited his residence to deliver an invitation for questioning have been denied by the politician.

Hunye, while reacting to the development, dismissed the claim that he was on the run, insisting that he remained available and was prepared to honour invitations from the security agencies.

He questioned the basis for reports that he had evaded the operatives by jumping over his fence.

“Somebody was saying they came to my house and I jumped the fence. Why won’t I honour it? How can I be on the run?” Hunye asked.

He added that he would honour any invitation issued by the security agencies, noting that an invitation scheduled for September could not reasonably be interpreted as an indication that he was fleeing.

“If somebody invited me for September, I’ll be running now? The question is, have they visited my house?” he said.

Hunye further insisted, “I heard that they’re saying they came to my house and I jumped the fence. How can I be on the run? If I’m invited for September, I’ll definitely honour it.”

The dispute has added a fresh layer to the unfolding political contest ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State, with the APC now seeking the intervention of security agencies to settle what it considers a case of impersonation and potential threat to electoral order.

 

APC Petitions Police, DSS Over Ogun 2027 Governorship Claim, Seeks Hunye’s Arrest

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