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Tag: Buni

  • Buhari, Buni, Fani-Kayode and a Long Running Circus, By Ozioma Nwadike

    Buhari, Buni, Fani-Kayode and a Long Running Circus, By Ozioma Nwadike

    The picture released to the press, a few days ago, of President Buhari, Governors Mai Buni and Matawalle, Secretary Mustapha and Chief FaniKayode together at the State House to confirm the defection of the rabble rouser Fani-Kayode to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) felt dystopian, even by the gutter standards of Nigerian politics.

    It is apparent to the discerning that these folks are not by any stretch serious minded men, they looked more like a band of 3rd rate comedians than nearer anybody who should be leading anybody. Apparently to these small-minded men, the high
    offices of public trust which they occupy is to be treated like a game or worse still a circus, as shown in their repeated words and conduct. The saddest part in the ongoing burlesque is that this circus, which they are fully intent on keeping on an endless run, is not solely to the comeuppance of their fawners, protégés and fellow comedians, but has consequence in dead babies, dead
    bodies, starvation, kidnapped girls, terrorism, homelessness and extreme hunger for the people whom they claim to lead.

    In 1999, I was ten years old, and I have watched in unspeakable grief, the complete annihilation of my generation’s destiny over the course of the last twenty years by the brutal Nigerian political elite and their military and financial collaborators. A brutal elite driven only by immoral greed, unctuous tastes and stark unbridled quest for power. You wonder who are these men having no desire for honor, for glory, for love of country, love for their fellow man, responsibility, decency, for liberalism, for fairness and rule of law.

    What manner of men are driven only by base desires of marrying new wives, beholden to insular discredited worldviews of tribes and clans, and simply content to live in lavish splendor while all around them is squalor and misery.

    The Nigerian politician has no iota of shame – the Governors owe poor working class people salaries for months and still have the conscience to cruise around town in multiple land cruiser convoys. Small men with their small mentalities. As Governor Mai Buni continues to occupy the position of the Chairman of the APC in complete disregard of the express provisions of the constitution, and the President is disdainful of any prodding to see beyond his nose and the provincial aesthetics of his Daura polling booth, you
    wonder if things will ever change.

    The defections in the circus have been flying around, defections which automatically comes with the dropping of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charges and a lucrative new appointment. Currently there is chatter of the former President Jonathan of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) defecting to the All Progressive Congress (APC), and all sorts of sundry shenanigans. Whether the extremely limited Jonathan joins the All
    Progressive Congress (APC) or not is beside the point, the real tragedy is that the Jonathan chatter and the already consummated defection of enfant terrible Fani Kayode is reflective of the elite’s total disregard of the intelligence of the Nigerian people. To them we are like fools and tools. It goes without saying that the deliberate impoverishing of the Nigerian people has never been the sole forte of one political party, forget the ramblings of
    the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) aligned political jobbers on Twitter who run daily interference for their paymasters, friends and business partners.

    As young middle class Nigerians continue to flee this country in their droves, and the Naira continues its own unavoidable free fall into worthlessness, it’s hard to find light at the end of the tunnel.

    You have a feeling that for the brutal Nigerian elite things must continue as it is because progress can only come at the expense of an end to their way of life – an end to their lavish parties,
    oleaginous living rooms, and gold plated IPhone gift at their ‘no known source of income’ son’s weddings.

    The entire country is immersed in despair. Centrifugal forces are combining to tear this country apart from its seams. Though I am personally skeptical of these forces. Some of these now viral prognostications, desiring to truncate our general well-being even further, are devoid of class analysis and lead by demagogues who for all I care are already showing signs to be worse than our present band of traducers. The truth rather is that any diagnosis of
    Nigeria’s predicament on grounds primarily of tribe is simplistic and lacking in hard evidence and of course plays into the time tested modus operandi of the Nigerian elite. As so-called freedom fighters fond of expensive designer suits sell their seemingly attractive but of course false propositions of ethnic domination, they would have to contend with the obvious fact that the poverty
    and human security in Baga is astronomically worse than that in Okigwe.

    In a month’s time, it will be exactly one year since the cold blooded murder of hundreds, if not thousands, of mostly ordinary young Nigerians taking their last stand at the Lekki Toll gate during the EndSars protests. The murders were live-streamed to the world, and we all saw the Nigerian government’s military arrive at the scene shortly before the shootings started, but somehow
    our media houses and social commentators still managed to create a controversy of who was responsible for the deaths. Yet it is only from that generation willing to die for their country that anything can be salvaged from this country.

    I write this with free flowing tears, overwhelming anger and
    despair, and wondering what manner of men are these who will murder young teenagers raising the national flag and singing the Nigerian anthem? Who are these monsters?

    The truth however is that the Nigerian racket is still strong, our people are divided along ethnic and religious lines than at no time in our history. This happens while the Nigerian elite intermarry and jointly attend the weddings of their sons and daughters and Fani Kayode poses in pictures with the extremist cleric Isa Pantami turned minister of communications, communications for which he knows nothing about.

    As young people continue to access Twitter through a VPN in a remarkable show of civil disobedience, I can only hope that perhaps this picture of Fani Kayode and Buhari together might jolt the Nigerian people to see these small men for
    what they are – comedians who should have no place in public offices. Also as the next election approaches, I appeal to young people all over – let us register to vote and be prepared to protect our vote. It is in the political process that we must take our last stand, no matter how long it will take. We must be bold to enter the circus and put an end to this charade.

     

    Ozioma Nwadike, a legal practitioner, can be reached on Twitter- @Bslder and E-mail – oziomanwadike23@gmail.com

  • Courts restrains Buni, others from parading self Chairman, members of APC caretaker committee

    Courts restrains Buni, others from parading self Chairman, members of APC caretaker committee

    The Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba, the state capital on Wednesday has ruled that the caretaker committee members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) stop parading themselves as national officials of the party.

    The presiding judge, Justice Marshal Umukoro who delivered the judgement restrained Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, and other members from parading themselves as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Caretaker Committee (NWC) until the determination of the suit before the court.

    Justice Umukoro also stopped the APC council congress in Delta State slated for October 4, 2021.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG gathered that the Deputy Chairman of APC, Olorogun Elvis Ayomanor, who led other officials of the Delta APC, had approached the court following the July 10, 2021 ward congress, which was allegedly hijacked.

    In the ex-parte motion filed by the applicants, lead counsel, Ebipade Richard, prayed the court to grant the seven-point reliefs sought, adding that continuing with the Saturday, September 4 congress in Delta State, would cause more damage to his clients.

    Principal among the reliefs sought by the Claimants/Applicants was an order of interim injunction of this court restraining the second and 14th defendant from further acting or parading themselves as the members of the Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the 1st Defendant pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice already filed and served in the suit.

    Lead counsel to the respondents, Robert Emukpoeruo, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the suit, but argued that certain parties be joined as co-defendants.

    But Richard mentioned the fact that the matter before the court was an ex-parte motion that did not require the parties’ consideration.

    In his ruling, Justice Umukor adjourned the hearing on the suit to September 7, 2021.

  • Buni as APC’s boat-rocker towards 2023 polls, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    Buni as APC’s boat-rocker towards 2023 polls, By Ehichioya Ezomon

    By Ehichioya Ezomon
    Will the All Progressives Congress survive the onslaughts against its existence by dissatisfied members and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, which canvasses delisting of the platform?
    How many court cases will the party contest before deciding the fate of Governor Mai Mala Buni as the acting chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee?
    What’s so special about Buni’s headship of the committee to risk APC’s continuation? Are the party leaders pinning hopes on the courts, which didn’t give a damn in cases involving the party’s chapters in Rivers and Zamfara in 2019 and Bayelsa in 2020?
    The PDP has routinely predicted APC’s disintegration before the 2023 elections, and the APC appears headed to achieving that projection by getting mired in the quicksand of political obscurity.
    Yet, it seems the likely entity to extinguish the barely eight-year-old party that overthrew the PDP in 2015 is the very custodian that’s supposed to stabilise the APC ahead of the crucial 2023 polls.
    Yobe State Governor Buni, picked to head the caretaker committee, was charged with reconciling the disparate factions in the party, and conduct congresses that would lead to a national convention, to elect new officers.
    The National Executive Committee had dissolved former Governor Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee, “to arrest the crisis in the APC,” aftermath of the congresses/primaries for the 2019 polls in which the APC lost several states to the PDP.
    But rather than serve as the “Julius Berger” that builds bridges to link the different tendencies in the APC, Buni’s acting chairmanship of the caretaker committee has assumed the party’s albatross.
    Notably, the Buni committee is a contrivance by a clique opposed to Oshiomhole’s NWC, which sought to conduct direct primaries opposed by APC governors that control state party structures.
    Many concerned members had raised the alarm that the committee’s establishment was unknown to the APC constitution, and also violated the amended 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
    Ultimately, some dissatisfied members took out a writ at an Abuja Federal High Court, praying it to sack the Buni committee, and return the Oshiomhole NWC. The court rejected their prayers.
    The anti-Buni campaign was revived after the Supreme Court ruled on the 2020 poll in Ondo State, which PDP and its candidate, Chief Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), lost to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN).
    Although four of the seven-man Justices of the apex court gave judgment to the APC and Akeredolu, three Justices ruled that the governor wasn’t legally nominated for the poll.
    The minority Justices, ruling in favour of PDP and Jegede, held that Akeredolu’s nomination was forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission by Buni, whose chairmanship of the APC caretaker committee breached section 183 of the 1999 Constitution and article 17(4) of APC constitution, both of which forbid a governor concurrently holding dual executive offices.
    Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution states that: “The Governor shall not, during the period he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever,” while article 17(4) of APC’s constitution provides that: “No officer in any organ of the Party shall hold executive office in government concurrently.”
    That judgment set off renewed calls for Buni’s resignation, to save the APC from disqualification of its candidates/elected officials in future contests and voiding of actions by the Buni committee.
    However, the APC leaders look comfortable with Buni retaining his position, thus instigating the latest bombshell from about 100 aggrieved members in Benue State approaching the court to sack Buni and the caretaker committee.
    The plaintiffs, in an August 18, 2021, suit at a Federal High Court in Abuja, list the APC, Buni, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, the INEC, and others as defendants.
    Contending that the 13-member committee falls short of the required 24 members from not less than two-thirds of the 36 States and the FCT for any governing body of a political party, substantive or acting, under Section 223(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the plaintiffs ask the court to determine the following:
    * Whether the headship of the Caretaker Committee by a sitting Governor holding dual executive offices is prohibited by Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 17(4) of the APC Constitution, 2014 (as amended).
    * Whether by Article 13(4)(xvi) of the APC Constitution, 2014 (as amended) only the National Working Committee rather than the NEC of the party can constitute a Caretaker Committee in whatever form, nature or guise.
    * Whether the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, who administered oath of office on Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State as purported Caretaker Chairman, lacks the powers to do so under any provision of the APC Constitution, 2014 (as amended), as he is neither a member of the National Working Committee or even a member of the NEC of the APC.”
    Among others, the plaintiffs seek “an order of injunction, restraining Buni from carrying out the functions, duties, responsibilities and privileges of the National Chairman of the party in dual capacity with his executive functions as the Governor of Yobe State.”
    “An order nullifying all the steps, actions, activities, measures and decisions of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, for and on behalf of the APC, for being null, void and of no effect. And any other orders the court may deem fit to make.”
    This case by 100 APC members against the party, Buni and others is besides the suit by the PDP, seeking Buni’s outer as governor of Yobe State, and the enthronement of PDP’s candidates in the 2019 polls as governor and deputy governor, respectively.
    In an originating summon at a Federal High Court in Abuja, the PDP, resting its action on the minority judgment of the Supreme Court on the Ondo poll, poses several questions for determination:
    * Whether the 1st defendant (Buni) did not breach the clear provisions of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution when, as the Governor of Yobe State, he accepted the 3rd defendant (APC) appointment as its Caretaker Committee chairman and proceeded to occupy the office.
    * Whether the 1st defendant, who is the Governor of Yobe State and the Caretaker Committee chairman of the 3rd defendant (APC), has not ceased to hold the office of Governor of Yobe State, having regard to the provisions of section 183 of the 1999 Constitution.
    * Having regard to the clear provisions of section 187(1) of the 1999 Constitution and the state of law, whether the 2nd plaintiff (Dama Baba Abba Aji) can lawfully occupy the office of the governor or deputy governor of Yobe State upon the cessation of Governor Buni’s occupation of the office.
    Buni’s headship of the APC caretaker committee has become, with apologies to President Buhari, a case of, “If APC does not remove Buni as its chairman, Buni will remove APC as a political party.”
    The former is the prayer of genuine APC members, and the latter the hope of “fifth columnists” in the APC, and the PDP, which would delight in the self-ruination that the APC is gambling with!
    Mr. Ezomon, Journalist and Media Consultant, writes from Lagos, Nigeria.
  • 100 APC members drag party, Buni to court over ‘illegal’ Caretaker Committee

    100 APC members drag party, Buni to court over ‘illegal’ Caretaker Committee

    About 100 aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, have sued the Party, and its Caretaker Committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni, seeking dissolution of the 13-member committee and nullification of all their actions.

    Also listed as co-defendant in the originating summon registered as Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/938/2021, are the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others.

    The motion for interlocutory injunction was filed by their lawyer, Mr Samuel E. Irabor at the Federal High Court, Abuja on Wednesday, 18th August, 2021.

    According to the plaintiffs, the APC Caretaker Committee should be dissolved on the following grounds:

    1. That the 13 members Caretaker Committee falls short of the constitutionally required 24 members spread across not less than two-third of the 36 States and the FCT for any governing body of a political party, whether substantive or acting, as stipulated under Section 223(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as altered).

    2. That the headship of the Caretaker Committee by a sitting Governor holding dual executive offices is prohibited by Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 17(4) of the APC Constitution, 2014 (as amended)

    3. That by Article 13(4)(xvi) of the APC Constitution, 2014 (as amended) only the National Working Committee rather than the NEC of the party can constitute a Caretaker Committee in whatever form, nature or guise.

    4. That the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, who administered oath of office on Gov. Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State as purported Caretaker Chairman lacks the powers to do so under any provision of the APC Constitution, 2014 (as amended) as he is neither a member of the National Working Committee or even a member of the NEC of the APC.
    Controversy hinged on legal clauses

    The row over the status of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention (CECPC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has for a while threatened the fragile peace within the ruling party.

    While disgruntled factions of the APC hold that there is a flaw in having Governor Mai Mala Buni remain as Chairman of the CECPC, others argue that there is no constitutional breach in having a serving governor lead the party at the moment.

    In a recent communique aimed at making clear its position on the controversy over the legality of the CECPC and that of its chairman, the APC stated that “on both issues, we will state the position and decision of the Supreme Court only. The decision here is the majority judgment of the Supreme Court which is now the Law.

    “The decision and judgment was read and concurred to by the justices who were in the majority. Any other statements in their various additional contributions by the justices complement the lead judgment.

    “It is therefore right to say that the issues and ratio in the lead judgment reflect the views of the majority. The minority judgment, although important as it is, is not the judgment of the court.”

    The statement further notes that the Supreme Court in its judgment affirmed the legality of the CECPC, adding: “the court stated that the NEC under Article 13 (3) IV of the APC constitution has power to create, elect and appoint a committee and endow it with powers and functions. It drew a parallel with Article 33(3) of PDP constitution (2012) with similar powers granted to its National Convention which in turn appointed a National Caretaker in 2016, which the Supreme Court ruled legal in Sheriff VS PDP.

    “On the status of the Acting National Chairman, His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni, the Supreme Court held that he was appointed only in acting capacity, on temporary basis to carry out and fill in the seat of the National Chairman, pending the election of new officers.

    “The Apex Court also held that Mai Mala Buni’s position as Acting Chairman of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee is not contrary to the provision of Section 183 of the CFRN because the appointment, ad-hoc, is on a temporary basis which is not akin to Executive office or paid employment as envisaged by Section 183 of the CFRN.”

  • APC Caretaker Committee chair Buni leads two governors, Ex-Speaker, others to meet Ladoja in Ibadan

    APC Caretaker Committee chair Buni leads two governors, Ex-Speaker, others to meet Ladoja in Ibadan

    Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa and Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, on Sunday held closed-door meeting with former Gov. Rashidi Ladoja of Oyo State in Ibadan.

    The trio arrived the Ondo Street residence of the former governor in company of Rep. Dimeji Bankole, former Speaker, House of Representatives.

    Buni is the Chairman, APC National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Ladoja of Zenith Labour Party, was the leader of the coalition, which supported Gov. Seyi Makinde in 2019 to win the election for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

    The coalition brought together the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP); Social Democratic Party (SDP); faction of Action Democratic Party (ADP) and a faction of Alliance of Democracy (AD).

    A source at the meeting, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the visitors, arrived in Ibadan in Oyo State Government vehicles.

    This, it was gathered, fuelled the suspicions that the meeting might have caught the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government in the state unaware.

    Though, details of the meeting were sketchy, the source told News Agency of Nigeria that the governors were in Ladoja’s house to discuss issues of insecurity and the possibility of wooing him into the APC fold.

    According to reports, the visitors were received at Ladoja’s House by Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari (APC-Oyo North), Alhaji Sharafadeen Alli and Bimbo Adepoju.

    However, all efforts made to get Ladoja and the governors speak on outcomes of the meeting proved abortive as they declined comments.

  • Caretaker chairmanship: PDP drags Buni, APC to court; seeks his removal as Yobe governor

    Caretaker chairmanship: PDP drags Buni, APC to court; seeks his removal as Yobe governor

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to effect the removal of Governor Mai Mala Buni as the governor of Yobe State.

    Lawyer to the main opposition party, Emeka Etiaba, made the request in a four-page originating summons filed at the court on Thursday.

    The party prayed the court to make the governor appear before it and defend whether or not he ceased to be governor by accepting to be the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    It stated that Governor Buni has breached the provision of Section 183 of the Constitution when as a governor, he also serves as the ruling party’s caretaker chairman.

    Also joined as plaintiffs in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/885/2021 were the Yobe State PDP Governorship Candidate in 2019, Umar Iliya Damagum, and his running mate, Baba Abba Aji.

    Listed as defendants were Governor Buni, his deputy, Idi Barde Gubana, the APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    The suit filed by the main opposition party comes on the heels of the Supreme Court judgement in the case between the Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, and Mr Eyitayo Jegede – the PDP candidate in the Ondo Governorship election of 2020.

    Before approaching the apex court, Jegede and his party had asked the Court of Appeal in Akure to sack Akeredolu on the ground that his nomination form was signed by Buni – a sitting governor who doubled as the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman.

    They argued that constitutional provision forbade sitting governors from occupying executive offices outside their statutory position.

    The appellate court had, however, struck out the appeal for lack of merit. This made the appellants seek redress at the Supreme Court.

    In a majority judgement of four against three delivered on July 28, a seven-man panel of justices of the apex court upheld the re-election of Governor Akeredolu.

    But the other three justices disagreed with the majority judgement, saying the appeal filed by the appellants had merit and ought not to be struck out by the appellate court.

    Since the judgement, the verdict of the Supreme Court has become a subject of debate on whether a sitting governor can take up a role such as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC.

    The suit filed by the PDP on Thursday at the Federal High Court in Abuja is the latest among many other reactions triggered by the decision of the apex court.

  • Ondo guber: Why I didn’t join Gov Buni in suit against Akeredolu – Jegede

    Ondo guber: Why I didn’t join Gov Buni in suit against Akeredolu – Jegede

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in last year’s governorship election in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, has said the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, was not joined as a respondent in his petition because of the immunity the governor enjoys.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that some legal practitioners including the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo (SAN) had said the only saving grace for incumbent Governor Akeredolu and the APC was because Jedege did not join the Yobe State Governor who also doubles as the party’s caretaker committee chairman.

    But Jegede in an obvious reaction to these statements said the tribunal would have struck out the petition at the first hearing, if Buni were joined in the suit.

    Speaking at a meeting with PDP leaders at the party’s secretariat in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Jegede said Nigerian laws forbid governors to be sued because of the immunity they enjoy.

    He said: “Election matters have laws that govern them. Governor Buni could not have been a respondent; in fact, if we had joined him, our case would have been struck out on the very first day.

    “But the Supreme Court is the highest court in the land and its verdict is final on all matters. I appeal to you to continue to have respect and place hope on our Judiciary. Only God is perfect in all things.”

    Jegede urged Ondo PDP leaders and members to give themselves a pat on the back for fighting a good cause aimed at strengthening and deepening the country’s democratic institutions.

    He said posterity would not fail to place him on the right side of history.

    Ondo PDP leaders who spoke at the meeting promised not to let Jegede down.

    Those at the stakeholders’ meeting included PDP State Chairman Fatai Adams, Ikengboju Gboluga, Ambassador Omolade Oluwateru, Chief Segun Adegoke, Dr. Tayo Dairo, Dr. Gbakinro, Col. Roland Omowa (retd.), Clement Faboyede, Lady Lydia Olafunmiloye, Mrs. Olufunlayo Edu, Mrs. Folake Sarumi, Dr. Bode Ayorinde, Senator Boluwaji Kunlere, Senator Yele Omogunwa, Senator Omololu Meroyi, members of the Ondo State Executive Committee of the party.

    Others include Local government party leaders, party chairmen from the 18 local government areas of Ondo State, United Non-Indigenes group in the state, represented by Chief Arthur Richard, and other stakeholders.

  • Discharge your mandate now, Senator Abe tells Gov Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee

    Discharge your mandate now, Senator Abe tells Gov Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee

    Emman Ovuakporie

    Former representative of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has charged the Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC to discharge its mandate as it has the legal backing till 2023.

    The Rivers born former lawmaker argued that the CECPC can proceed without fear to discharge its mandate to all party members and do what is right.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports Abe, in a statement he personally signed and posted on his Facebook account on Sunday titled: “APC: SUPREME COURT HAS SECURED THE APPOINTMENT OF MAI MALA BUNI AS CHAIRMAN OF THE CECPC,” maintained that the Supreme Court has already decided that the matter cannot be adjudicated upon until the 29th of May, 2023, when the immunity conferred by the Constitution on Governor Buni would have expired.

    He further argued that, “the greatest challenge facing the party today is not the threat of litigation but the inability of the party to stand up to its godfathers and protect the rights of its members across the country who are daily being openly oppressed and denied their rights and privileges while the party appears helpless”.

    According to Abe, Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) states clearly that, no civil or criminal proceedings can be instituted or continued against a serving Governor, neither can any legal processes or summons be issued against a Governor in any guise whatsoever”.

    The statement reads in parts: “Last week following the judgement of the Supreme Court in Jegede Vs. Akeredolu, there was a lot of controversy in the APC over the appointment of the serving Governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni as the Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of our party. Thankfully, the party resisted the temptation to commit Political Suicide in panic mode.

    “A careful examination of the Supreme Court judgement however shows that the Supreme Court has in its pronouncement in that now landmark judgement of Jegede Vs. Akeredolu secured the tenure of the Chairman CECPC, Governor Mai Mala Buni and ended the controversy over the propriety of his appointment.

    “Without citing the judgement, it is now trite that the Supreme Court held that the issue of Mai Mala’s competence in relation to section 183 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) cannot be decided in any case in which Mai Mala Buni, the Executive Governor of Yobe State is not a party.

    “This was the main thrust of Festus Keyamo’s argument where he said, “therefore, any other person affected by the actions of the Buni-led Committee will henceforth not fail to join him in any subsequent case in Court.

    “These include any subsequent election matter in any part of this country and all the APC Congresses that are about to hold.

    “The Supreme Court has just weaponised all those that would be aggrieved by the APC congresses to proceed to court to challenge the competence of the Buni-led CECPC to organise the Congresses and National Convention. The judiciary will subsequently destroy the entire structure of the Party from bottom to top”.

    “Beautiful as the argument may be the statement stated, but the question is, can Buni be joined or made a party to any lawsuit anywhere in the Federal Republic of Nigeria while still serving as the Executive Governor of Yobe State?

    “Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) states clearly that no civil or criminal proceedings can be instituted or continued against a serving Governor, neither can any legal processes or summons be issued against a Governor in any guise whatsoever.

    “By holding that Buni in person and not the APC alone will have to be a party to suit in which this matter will have to be decided, the Supreme Court has already decided that the matter cannot be adjudicated upon until the 29th of May, 2023, when the immunity conferred by the constitution on Governor Buni will expire.

    “In any lawsuit anywhere in this country where this matter is brought up, the APC ONLY HAS TO CITE JEGEDE VS. AKEREDOLU WHERE THE SUPREME COURT HELD THAT BUNI MUST BE A PARTY AND BUNI ONLY HAS TO CITE SECTION 308 OF THE CONSTITUTION WHICH SAYS HE CANNOT BE A PARTY”.

    The Senator questioned where then why would there be a threat as by May, 2023 when Buni’s immunity would have expired with a new government and a new party leadership long in place, “this matter will be largely academic, “he posited.

    “The CECPC should proceed without fear to discharge its mandate to all party members and do what is right.

    “The greatest challenge facing the party today is not the threat of litigation but the inability of the party to stand up to its godfathers and protect the rights of its members across the country who are daily being openly oppressed and denied their rights and privileges while the party appears helpless”.

    Maintaining his position on the matter, Abe stated: “In Rivers State, the party in response to the report of its own membership registration and revalidation committee report publicly directed that membership registration and revalidation to resume in Rivers State.

    “Two separate committees and directives were given, both were publicly disobeyed and yet the party did nothing, rather sham Ward Congresses proceeded as if there are two separate political parties saying different things.

    “Even when members were openly disenfranchised, the party said nothing and appeared helpless in a situation in which ordinary members of the APC were being publicly maltreated.

    ” Forms were issued in bulk to one group, the other group was made to sleep overnight in front of the APC secretariat and given one hundred forms.

    “This issue of justice, equity and lack of respect for our members and their rights is a greater danger to the APC in Nigeria than the threat of litigation over Governor Buni.

    “The party is nothing without justice. It is time for us as a party to stop worrying over what others will do instead let us worry about what we are doing”, he concluded.

  • Court rejects suits seeking reinstatement of Oshiomhole, sack of Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee

    Court rejects suits seeking reinstatement of Oshiomhole, sack of Buni-led APC Caretaker Committee

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out two suits challenging the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and sought the avoiding of the succeeding National Caretaker Committee led by Yobe State Governor, Mai-Mala Buni.

    Justice Taiwo Taiwo, in two rulings on Tuesday held that the plaintiffs lacked the locus standi (the legal right) to institute their cases against the party.

    The first suit was filed by a former South-South National Vice Chairman of the party, Hilliard Eta in the name of APC, while the second suit was instituted by a former APC Youth Leader in Abia state, Kalu Kalu Agu.

    Plaintiffs in both suits, marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/736/2020 and FHC/ABJ/CS/1589/2021 had sought an order to determine the legality or otherwise of the June 17, 2020 National Executive Committee meeting which dissolved the NWC and appointed a National Caretaker Committee led by Yobe State Governor, Mai-Mala Buni.

    They had prayed the court to reverse the dissolution of the Oshiomhole-led NWC and declare the Buni-led NWC unlawful.

    Upholding the separate preliminary objections filed by the defendants, the court held that the plaintiffs did not show or prove how the dissolution of the NWC on June 17, 2020 by 16 out of 20 members of APC NEC infringed on their civil rights and obligation more than any other member of the party.

    “There must be a nexus between a plaintiff and the cause of action,” the judge said, and noted that the first plaintiff did not fit properly into who a plaintiff should be, while the second plaintiff, Hilliard Eta “referred to himself as a regular member of the party.”

    The judge observed that, for the APC to be a plaintiff in the suit, there must be the existence of a faction, noting that there was nowhere the second plaintiff claimed to belong to a faction of the party, in the affidavit he deposed to.

    “I am of the well considered view that issues raised by the plaintiffs are not justiceable. They are issues of internal affairs of a political party.

    “It is sheer waste of time and there is no reason to consider the substantive matter,” the judge said, and proceeded to strike out both cases.

  • Buni speaks on security situation in Yobe after days of Boko Haram attacks

    Buni speaks on security situation in Yobe after days of Boko Haram attacks

    Yobe Governor, Mai Mala Buni, on Tuesday said the security situation in the state generally needed quick response and reassessment.

    Buni made his position known during an emergency security meeting in Damaturu.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that some Boko Haram insurgents invaded communities in Geidam Local Government of the state attacking households and spreading their philosophies. On Monday, a viral video of residents leaving the area surfaced online.

    Speaking on the development, the governor said: “We thanked God for the relative peace we now enjoy in most parts of the state.

    “However, the sad events in Geidam calls for quick response and reassessment of the security situation in our respective communities and the state generally,” he said.

    The governor condemned the recent Boko Haram attack on Geidam town.

    He described the resurgence of Boko Haram attacks on Geidam in which some lives were lost with men, women, children, young and old forced out of their homes as sad.

    Buni said the displacement of the victims in this holy month of Ramadan, was condemnable, crude and grossly inhumane.

    He said that the meeting concentrated on strategic engagement of critical stakeholders to discuss issues of security as they affected individual communities and the state at large.

    He noted that special a security plan was mapped out to figh insurgency in Geidam because of its geographical location, sitting close to the Lake Chad basin.

    Buni also noted that Geidam was bordering Niger Republic and Damasak in Borno, one of the areas heavily infiltrated by Boko Haram insurgents.

    “I am pleased to state that far reaching decisions were made at the meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff especially, on reinforcement of personnel and improved strategy to effectively combat the attacks,” he said.

    The governor enjoined the people to volunteer credible and timely information to the security agencies to enhance proactive actions being taken in curbing the menace of the terrorists.

    “We must expose every bad egg in our communities even if they are our relations, including our biological children.

    “It is our responsibility to report suspicious movements in or near our communities. We cannot keep blaming government and security agencies while people hoard valuable information.”, Buni stressed.