The All Progressives Congress youths under the auspices of the
Coalition of Progressive Youth Groups in Nigeria and the Diaspora (COPY-ND), Friday, discribed the purported sack of the Secretary of the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe as a total disrespect to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The coalition in a statement issued in Abuja by its Director-General, Dr Aminu Abdullahi Isyaku, while discribing the vote of no confidence passed on the embattled CECPC’s scribe as an attempt to stop the March 26 national convention of the party, said those involved should be sanctioned.
The group also alleged that all CECPC members who passed a vote of no confidence on Akpanudoedehe were fighting the will of the president, who it said had directed that status quo should be maintained in the party.
“…our attention has been drawn to yet again another desperate and last minute attempt to thwart the ongoing preparations for the scheduled 26th March 2022 National Convention of the All Progressive Congress Party. The Coalition of Progressive Youth groups in Nigeria and the Diaspora (COPY-ND), has sighted a back- dated letter whose spirit and letters have been overtaken by events, as issued by the self- appointed spokesperson for the CECPC and National Youth Leader of the party, who made the announcement that the members of the CECPC had previously voted for a motion on 8th of March, to remove the National Secretary of the party, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe,PhD.
“We in the Coalition of Progressive Youth Groups in Nigeria and the Diaspora (COPY-ND), view this action as both laughable and sad that is in direct collision against three concurrent fundamental issues: The so called No Confidence motion is a total violation of the Constitutional provisions of the party, hence it is a futile exercise.
“We wish to remind that the CEPCPC is a creation of the National Executive Committee NEC of the party, as such it is not a statutory elected National Working Committee of the party whose functions are only as directed by the NEC of the party during its formation. As such, the CEPCPC led by His Excellency Governor Mai Mala Buni and Secretary John James Akpanudoedehe is answerable to the National Executive Committee of the party, which gave it the mandate to organise the party for the convention, which is now in full swing. Its individual members cannot therefore determine the fate of any other member, not to talk of the National Secretary without recourse to the NEC of the party for approval.
“The legitimacy and constitutionality of the position of Dr John James Akpanudoedehe as National Secretary is further confirmed by INEC, when it refused to honour recent desperate correspondence without the signature of the National Secretary.Section 13.3 (v) of the Constitution, Articles (V & VI), which implies that, the NEC shall exercise control and take disciplinary action on all organs, officers and members of the party does not empower CEPCPC members to sack the National Secretary.
“More worrying is that this unconstitutional move by the CEPCPC members, is a gross disrespect to President Buhari and disregard to his Presidential directive that clearly directs the party to return to status quo, which implies that His Excellency Mai Mala Buni having returned from his medical leave should return to (his) seat and work with the CEPCPC members including the National Secretary to continue with plans for the National Convention.
“Mr. President’s letter further directs that all party leaders including governors should desist from overheating the party by making remarks capable of killing the party.However to our dismay, this subsequent action following Mr. President’s directive is nothing but an affront by the undersigned CEPCPC members for their total disregard to the office of the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces and should be sanctioned.
“The so called Vote of No Confidence is an indication of an anti- party activity by the undersigned CEPCPC. Because by unilaterally removing the National Secretary of the party, they planned to cause chaos in order to extend the planned National Convention against the interest of the party and that of Mr. President.We are therefore doubtful of their loyalty to the party and the President in ensuring that the legacies of the Buhari Administration is sustained by ushering another APC dispensation in 2023 as we wonder whose interest they are serving in the party”, the statement read.
