APC governors’ forum DG: Buni making the same mistakes Oshiomhole made

By not convening meetings of the organs of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, director-general of Progressive Governors Forum, says Mai Mala Buni, chairman of the national caretaker committee, is toeing the path of Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman.

The national working committee (NWC) led by Oshiomhole was dissolved in June 2020 following a protracted leadership crisis.

The party’s NEC replaced the Oshiomhole-led NWC with a caretaker committee led by Buni, Yobe governor.

In a statement on Monday, Lukman said the absence of meetings was what led to disaffection among party members under the Oshiomhole-led NWC.

“With an initial tenure of six months, which was extended by another emergency NEC of December 8, 2020, to June 2021, the work of the caretaker committee is expected to end with a national convention, where another leadership should emerge to manage affairs of the party for another four years,” the director-general said.

“All party members and leaders should ensure that the caretaker committee is able to complete the task of organising a national convention where new leaders of the party will be elected.

“The first test, therefore, is whether the challenges leading to the dissolution of the Comrade Oshiomhole-led NWC are being resolved by the caretaker committee. To what extent is the resolution of challenges facing the party conforming to both democratic principles and progressive ideals?

“Democratic principles and progressive ideals are not mutually exclusive and could be achieved through guaranteeing that meetings of organs are taking place as provided in the constitution of the party.

“Absence of meetings of organs partly contributed to most of the disaffections in the party during the tenure of the Comrade Oshiomhole-led NWC.

“To what extent has the APC caretaker committee distinguished itself from the old characteristics of managing the affairs of the party without meetings of organs as provided in the party’s constitution?”

Lukman faulted the membership revalidation exercise which he described as “analogue”.

“Given that the party’s membership registration/revalidation exercise was done based on the old analogue method without applying modern virtual technology, what is the guarantee that the process of leadership reformation in the party, from ward congresses up to national convention, will be done based on the new register,” he said.

“Will all members of the party be able to participate in the process of electing leaders of the party at all levels?”