Dissolved APC NWC members backtrack, say they’re not taking legal action

Members of the dissolved national working committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) say they are no longer considering legal action in addressing their grievances.

The aggrieved NWC members had mulled legal action after the committee was dissolved at a national executive committee (NEC) meeting of the party that was held at the presidential villa on Thursday.

A caretaker committee chaired by Mai Mala Buni, Yobe governor and former national secretary, was set up in the place of the dissolved NWC.

Speaking on Friday, Waziri Bulama, former national secretary of the party, said they have accepted the decision of the president on the dissolution of the committee.

“Following consultations with our leaders all the stakeholders, we have accepted the decision of the President on the dissolution of NWC and the setting up of a Caretaker Committee headed by Governor Mai Mala Buni,” Bulama said.

“We are respecting the president. We are not antagonistic. All the views we expressed were in the light of the constitution of the party. Consulting our leaders and stakeholders does not mean going to court. We have no such plans.

“We are putting aside all constitutional and legal processes in the overall interest of the party. We have respect for authority, we appeal to all the stakeholders not to escalate the crisis in the party. We will cooperate with Buni’s committee which will organize a convention in the next six months.

“This is what is propelling some segments of the party in struggling to take control of the party because some elements within the Nigerian political elite see the political party as only within the limited scope of a function of a party as a special purpose vehicle for elections; thinking that if they seize control of the party and without Buhari, they can steer the party in one direction or the other.

“The court cases were triggered by some of these interests some of which are political, some personal. For instance, political ambition, someone thinks that if he takes over the party, he can use it for this purpose or that. He or she wants to secure election in the local government, state, or the national level and use it to his own advantage. This can trigger agitation within the party.”