APC convention will hold soon, says Buni

Mai Mala Buni, chairman of the caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the convention of the party will hold soon.

Buni spoke while reacting to comments by some members of the party who accused the committee of not planning to hold a convention as part of measures to elongate its tenure.

But speaking with state house correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, he said:  “it (the convention) will happen soon”.

Buni said members of the panel are not looking for jobs but seeking to reunite the party.

The caretaker committee was set up by the party’s national executive committee (NEC) in June following a leadership crisis that ensued in the party.

Buni, who is also the governor governor of Yobe, said the committee was at the villa to consult with the president on the registration of party members – a prerequisite to the convention.

“You are all aware. We have three sitting governors in the committee. And you should know that none of the governors is seeking for job,” he said.

“Already, we have a job. But we have to sacrifice to ensure that we reposition the party. So, anybody who is thinking that maybe we are job seekers is wrong. We are not job seekers. We are here to reposition and reunite our party so that we have a party we can all be proud of.

“This is our mandate and we are ready to discharge our mandate. That [tenure elongation] is left for NEC of the party to decide. It is not me or caretaker committee to decide. We are operating within the limit of our assignment because NEC of the party said we must rebuild the party bottom up

“It’s to consult with him (Buhari) on the process of the membership registration. As from today, we are commencing with sensitisation.

“Thereafter, it will culminate into membership registration across over 119,000 polling units in the country. It is part of our mandate as bestowed on us by national executive committee to rebuild this party bottom up.”

Kabir Marafa, a former senator from Zamfara, had given Buni up till December to conduct a convention.