The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) risks losing its presidential bid in 2023 if the party fails to sack Mai Mala Buni caretaker led committee, Senator Ita Enang, Senior Special Assistant on Niger Delta Affairs has warned.
Enang said that the significance of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State Supreme Court judgment will be very dangerous for the party going forward, stressing that even if the party fills presidential candidate in 2023, under Buni-led caretaker committee, it would be disastrous since the party doesn’t have an executive known to law to fill candidates for elections.
The Senator on Arise Television on Tuesday said, “All the seven justices of the Supreme Court on Akeredolu versus Jegede, agreed that the APC as it is today cannot exist as a political party because it doesn’t have democratically elected executives of the party.
”We had elected officers of the party led by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. He resigned and the constitution of the party has provided a succession process. Since Oshiomhole resigned, there is a first, second, third and fourth persons to take over leadership.
He added, “On no account should any officer of the party be ad-hoc or appointed committee. People argue, especially members of the caretaker committee and those who support them that the party can set up a committee.
”Yes, the party can set up a committee but the party itself cannot become the committee. It can only set up a committee to conduct elections, congresses, conventions, nominate people to investigate particular issues, but it cannot become a committee.
”Article 18 of the constitution of APC says, ‘The national executive committee shall have the power to set up a standing committee and where necessary ad-hoc committees and only two standing committees can be set up, committee on finance and publicity committee.
”The ad-hoc committees that can set up are screening/selection committee at the state, local government and federal levels but it prohibits the party from setting up a committee.’’
While calling for the recall of the suspended executives to save the party, Enang said, “We should swallow the bitter pill, recall suspended national executive and give it a month or two to conduct national convention, because if a national convention is conducted by Buni led caretaker committee, it will still be declared illegal because the caretaker committee has no authority to do anything on behalf of the party.”
