Buni, Malami, Emefiele to confer with Buhari in UK – Newstrends
Connect with us

Politics

Buni, Malami, Emefiele to confer with Buhari in UK

Published

on

  • Yobe Governor, Sani Bello differ on transfer of functions

  • Tinubu: party should remain democratic

The ousted caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mai Mala Buni, is due in London to confer with President Muhammadu Buhari, it was learnt last night.

Sources said Buni, who was expected to rush back home on Wednesday from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where he went for medical checkup, had a rethink.

“He will now travel to London to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on the situation in the party,” a source said.

Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami (SAN), it was learnt, had arrived in London also to meet with the President.

Another official listed to meet with the President is Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele.

It could not be confirmed last night whether the CBN governor had arrived in the UK capital.

Ahead of his London trip, there was a leak of Buni’s letter, which faulted Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s narratives on how Buni was removed as chairman of Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

READ ALSO:

A source, who spoke in confidence, said the APC crisis has shifted to London with Buni struggling for survival.

The source added: “Instead of coming home, Buni went London to state his own side of the crisis in the party and hear from the President on whether or not he directed that he should leave office. He has also gone there with facts and figures on the situation of the party.

“He has insisted that no verbal or written directive was given to him by the President. He said he cannot depend on third party information. He wants to know his fate directly from the President.

“I think Buni and his backers have succeeded in breaking some protocol barriers to see the President, who has been under pressure to hear the other side to APC crisis.

“Buni confided in some governors and few loyalists that he would clarify a few things in London including court injunction to halt the convention and defiance of presidential directives on the reform of the party.”

In Buni’s letter, the Yobe State governor legally handed over the affairs of the party to Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani Bello before travelling out.

In the letter dated February 28, Buni directed Governor Bello to act in his absence as the chairman of CECPC.

A copy of the letter was sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and members of CECPC.

The letter reads: “This is to please inform you that I will be embarking on a medical trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from today, 28th February, 2022.

“In my absence, I hereby transmit the functions of my office as the National Chairman of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to you.

“This is to enable the committee conclude all arrangements leading to the National Convention slated for March 26th, 2022 and other duties that may be required of the office.

“I invite all members to cooperate with Governor Abubakar Sani Bello by extending to him all the support that I have enjoyed from you.

“Please do accept the assurances of my best regards.”

However, Sani Bello denied receiving any transfer of authority letter from Buni. Speaking to reporters at the secretariat in Abuja, Sani Bello simply said: “I have not seen it.”

An aide to Buni, who spoke in confidence, said: “Buni couldn’t have been removed by anybody or a group of governors because his letter was explicit. He followed due process and nominated Bello to act for him.”

On Emefiele, a source said: “His mission was to brief the President on developments on the economy, particularly the effect of the Russia-Ukraine war on our earnings as well as the resultant huge subsidy on fuel.”

READ ALSO:

Another said: “Emefiele might discuss his perceived presidential ambition with Buhari, in view of the Senate’s rejection of President Buhari’s request to amend a section of the new Electoral Act, which precludes appointed officials of government from voting or being voted for at primaries of political parties, unless they resign.”

Malami is expected, according to sources, to discuss some constitutional and legal issues with Buhari.

The Senate’s rejection of a presidential request to review Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act 2022 was said to be a source of concern to the Presidency.

It was learnt that the President and the AGF are likely to weigh options on the Electoral Act in line with the time constraint before the 2023 primaries begin in April.

One of the alternatives being considered was to approach the court for a pronouncement.

The sack of Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi by a Federal High Court will also feature because Malami was yet to issue an advisory on the judgment.

Another source added: “The AGF is in London to discuss the implications of the Senate’s rejection of a gentleman’s agreement with the President on Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act. The President needs legal advice on whether or not those in his cabinet and states’ executive councils should resign before the primaries.

“Buhari may rub minds with the AGF on any legal window which the government may explore to file an action in court.

“Some parties are already in court. So, the most important aspect is the implication of any court verdict on Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act on the 2023 general election. We are in dire straits because some Senators claimed that they cannot review the Electoral Act because it will affect the timetable for the 2023 poll.

“Yet, the fear of the President is that some political office holders will be disenfranchised. So, Buhari sees the Electoral Act as a violation of the fundamental human rights of those in political offices.

“Malami, believed to be interested in contesting to be governor of Kebbi State and others like the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Babatunde Fashola (Works), Uche Ogah (Mines and Steel), Chris Ngige (Labour and Employment), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu (Science and Technology) and Festus Keyamo (SAN) (Minister of State for Labour and Employment) are affected.

The source added: “The removal of Governor Umahi by a Federal High Court and the dilemma APC is facing on the injunction against its March 26 convention are other legal matters which are sources of concern to the President.

“If the injunction is not vacated, APC cannot hold its National Convention. The party can defy the court by holding the convention and living with the consequences. This is why there is so much anger in the party.

“Since the sack of Umahi, the AGF has not made his position known as the Chief Legal Officer of the Federation. He is in London to share his views before addressing the nation.

“The manner in which Umahi attacked the Judiciary made most APC members to be upset with him. The AGF will also offer his advice.”

The Nation

Politics

6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

Published

on

6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

Six Labour Party (LP) members of the Enugu State House of Assembly have officially defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

They made their defection known on Thursday in Enugu in a letter read by the Speaker, Chief Uche Ugwu, during plenary.

The defectors include the Majority Leader, Mr Johnson Ani (Enugu North); the Chief Whip, Mr Ejike Eze, (Igbo-Eze North 1); and the Deputy Chief Whip, Ms Princess Ugwu (Enugu South Rural).

Others are Mr Pius Ezugwu (Nsukka East); Mr Williams Amuka (Igbo-Etiti West); and Mr Osita Eze (Oji River).

The defectors, in the letters, said their defection was as a result of the existence of irreconcilable division, incessant crisis within the labour party at the national level and across all the state chapters.

They regretted that the party had evolved into perpetual discord with various factions embroiled in legal battles, which undermine its ability to effectively serve the interest of the people.

READ ALSO:

According to them, the Labour Party, once considered a beacon of hope for progressive ideas, have regrettably become synonymous with internal squabbles, thereby reducing its capacity to fulfil the aspirations of electorates.

They cited the cases of Mr Julius Abure and Mr Limido Apapa factions as well as the national treasurer as some of the divisions within the party.

They expressed the hope that the PDP would give them the platform to continue to serve the interests of their people and thanked the leaderships of Labour Party for their supports.

The defectors also acknowledge that the letters were sent to the office of the Speaker by themselves, adding that they would work wholeheartedly for the progress of their new party in Enugu State.

In his remark, the Speaker welcomed the defectors into the PDP and promised that they would be carried along in the legislative activities of the House.

With the defection, the PDP now had the majority in the House with 17 members while LP had only six members.

6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

Continue Reading

Politics

More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover

Published

on

More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover

  • NLC rejects Abure re-election
  • INEC disowns national convention

The Board of Trustees at the Labour Party says it has taken over the administration of the party, indicating a fresh trouble in the LP’s internal crisis.

This was announced on Thursday in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s BoT Chairman, Sylvester Ejiofor.

He said the takeover of the party came after the expiration of Julius Abure’s tenure as LP’s national chairman

Abure was re-elected as chairman t the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday, amid leadership crisis.

All members of the National Working Committee were returned at the convention.

But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described Abure’s re-election as “an illegality”.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also disowned the exercise on the grounds that it did not monitor the national convention.

INEC spoke through Rotimi Oyekanmi, media aide to INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The BoT’s statement read in part, “Following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the LP headed by Mr. Julius Abure, the BoT, in line with the party’s constitution, has stepped in to steer the affairs of the LP.

“This step is to avoid any leadership vacuum in the LP.

“Furthermore, the BoT of the LP, in consultation with major stakeholders in the party, will soon communicate the processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP.

“This is in line with the March 20, 2018 Federal High Court consent judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress as the owners of the LP and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP be held.

“The decision of the BoT is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former national chairman of the LP, Mr. Julius Abure, and the NLC and the Trade Union Congress on June 27, 2022, which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“Unlike the charade that took place today in Nnewi and in tandem with the principles of popular democracy, the all-inclusive national convention will start with grassroots congresses at ward, local government, state and ultimately at the national level.

“This process will not leave any genuine member of LP out and will be held in the full view of the Independent National Electoral Commission, media, civil society, security agents, and the general public.”

The Abure-led executive of the party had not responded to the new development as noon on Thursday.

 

A chieftain of the party was quoted in a report by The PUNCH as saying it was a hatchet job.

“Since many of you journalists have been covering this party, have you heard anything about LP Board of Trustees before? It is non-existent.

“How can one Sylvester Ejiofor wake up one day, tag himself as BoT chairman, and issue a statement that he has taken over the affairs of the party? Let him come over to the secretariat and take over then.

“Too many people and mercenaries are just bent on causing conflict in the party,” he said.

 

 

Continue Reading

Politics

BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

Published

on

Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party

BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

The Labour Party (LP) has re-elected Julius Abure as its National Chairman for a second term in office.

Abure was re-elected by a unanimous affirmation of delegates at the party’s National Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State.

READ ALSO:

The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the event attended by party leaders and members.

More to come…

Continue Reading

Trending

Skip to content