The All Progressives Congress APC appears to have many more hurdles to jump ahead of 2023 General Election following the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC’s rejection of an invitation by the party to attend its March 17 Emergency NEC virtual meeting.over what the commission called the party’s disrect for the rule of law.
On Thursday, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC sent a letter to the All Progressives Congress APC declining the party’s invitation to attend its emergency meeting which is expected to effect change of leadership of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Commitee CECPC.
INEC in the letter dated March 9,2022 by its Secretary, Mrs Rose Oriaran- Anthony said it can not attend the NEC meeting of the APC because the invitation letter did not bear the names of the party Chairman,Mai Mala Buni and Secretary, Senator John Akpanudodehe and urged the party to comply with the relevant laws and regulations in relation to change of leadership.
It warned that the party could only remove Mai Mala Buni and other officers of the CECPC after a 21 – day notice to the commission.
On Monday, Buni’s second in command to the CECPC arrived the party National Secretariat at Blantyre street in Wuse Zone 4 and took over the job of the Chairman in acting capacity saying he had the backing of the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari . On Tuesday, the media was awash with the resignation of John Akpanudodehe .
Following what seemed to be a coup within the party, the party Secretariat became a beehive of activity for Governors and principal officers of the National Assembly.
Going by INEC’S stance on the law, It is unlikely that the APC will hold its National Convention scheduled for March 26 without the Buni- led CECPC in place.
