Niger Gov Bello takes over APC leadership in what looks like a palace coup

Wike says crisis in APC over ordinary convention shows party lacks internal democracy

In what appeared like a palace coup, Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger State arrived the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and took over the affairs of the party as the new national caretaker committee chairman.

On arrival, Governor Bello who was being cheered and referred to as ‘chairman’ by some party faithful quickly entered into a closed-door meeting with some party chieftains.

The move is contrary to the position of secretary of the national caretaker committee, Senator James Akpan Udohedehe, who had earlier dismissed the reported removal of Governor Mai Mala Buni as fake news.

Akpanudoedehe denied any planned change of leadership in the party, describing it as fake news.

He stated in a statement earlier on Monday: “Our attention has been drawn to sponsored media reports on an imaginary leadership change in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).”

 “The media report is fake news and should be disregarded. The APC is a progressive political party guided by rules. Leadership changes are not announced by ‘sources’ through name dropping in the media.

“We urge our teeming supporters, members and indeed the general public to remain calm and support the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC CECPC conduct a rancour-free and credible national convention deserving of our great party.”

Also, earlier, security operatives had cordoned the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja, preventing staff and party members from entering and going out of the place.

Also, the road leading to the secretariat was cordoned, preventing motorists from accessing the road

 Meanwhile,  Rivers State Governor , Nyesom Wike,  has described  APC as a party that  lacks internal democracy.

Wike said this on Monday during the inauguration of the Orogbum crescent (road) project in the new government reserved area (GRA) phase II, in Port Harcourt, the Rivers capital.

The national convention of the APC is scheduled to hold on March 26 — after it was postponed from February 26 — but there were ripples within the party over the zoning of its national offices.

President Muhammadu Buhari has now endorsed a zoning formula for the party’s national offices.

However, the crisis in the party took a new twist on Monday after Abubakar Bello, governor of Niger, chaired a meeting of the caretaker committee and said he had been in charge of the affairs of the party “for a while”.

Mai Mala Buni, Yobe governor, who was the chairman of the caretaker committee, is said to have been ousted over attempts to scuttle plans for the party’s convention.

Speaking on the development within the ruling party, Wike said APC has “failed”.

“No internal democracy because they are not formed to practise democracy. They were only formed to see that they take over power and now they cannot mange it,” the governor was quoted as saying in a statement by Kelvin Ebiri, his spokesman.

“APC has failed. Look at their crisis. It is just ordinary convention that is a problem; ordinary convention that didn’t take us time as opposition party.

“Yet you see what is happening and that’s the kind of people you want to put your hope, faith on. It can’t be possible.

“There is no internal democracy in APC. It is only one man who decides. Mr. President travelled to Kenya, came back on Saturday and ordered that this and that should happen and travelled again yesterday.”

Speaking on his efforts to develop Rivers, the governor said those criticising him have not seen the urban renewal projects of his administration.

“Each time I read comments made by people who have failed, I just laugh at them. People think the only way they can be candidates of their party is when they go to newspapers to say what they don’t have the facts on,” he said.

“Shame! They never knew that we can turn Port Harcourt around this way. They never knew it to be so because they had all the opportunities. They had all the money in life then.

“But with the little that we have, see what we have done in Port Harcourt. I challenge them to be bold to walk around the streets.”