Supreme Court Judgement Validates Buni’s Committee, APC Govs Insist

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have said that the Supreme Court Judgment on Ondo State election validated the Caretaker/Extra Ordinary Convention Committee of the party, which is led by the Governor of Yobe State, Mr. Mai Mala Buni.

The Chairman of Progressive Governors, Mr. Atiku Bagudu, in a statement yesterday prior to the release of the written judgment that delivered by the Supreme Court, said that a lot of analysis and interpretations had been made, with some clearly mischievous.

He said that the early release of the written judgment had availed the public with the judgment of the court, which settled issues conclusively.

The forum recalled that on Wednesday, July 28, 2021, the Supreme Court pronounced its split decision on the appeal and counter appeals before it in the judgment of Ondo Gubernatorial Election petition, with the written judgment to be delivered afterwards.

It added that the written judgment released on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, the apex court upheld further the ruling of the Court of Appeal that “it is evident that the said Governor Mai Mala Buni was appointed only in an acting capacity on a temporary basis to temporarily carry out and fill in the seat of the National Chairman of the party pending the elections of new members.”

The forum commended the Supreme Court for this landmark judgment, which among others dealt conclusively with the legality of the APC Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, its composition and all its decisions.

It noted that the Supreme Court upheld the finding of the Court of Appeal that the committee was set up to act on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC) to temporarily carry out the function of the National Working Committee until new members were democratically elected.

The forum stated: “The judgment has also settled the legality of the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee. The court has correctly ruled that in line with Section 13.3 of the APC’s constitution, the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee was constituted by the National Executive Council of the APC to act as the National Working Committee. This ruling is consistent with the legal advice available to the APC in creating the committee and we commend the party’s legal team for the proper and lawful guidance.

“Governor Mai Mala Buni was appointed in acting capacity, on a temporary basis to temporarily carryout and fill in the seat of the national chairman of the party pending the election of a new national chairman. This has settled conclusively that the APC National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and its composition is not in conflict with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and is consistent with provisions of the constitution of the APC.”