Some All Progressives Congress (APC) governors have concluded plans to revolt against President Muhammadu Buhari at this weekend’s national convention of the party, Daily Independent can authoritatively report.
Leading the charge, according to our findings, is Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.
A presidency source, who is also one of the leaders of the party, said the governors are up in arms against President Buhari for allegedly humiliating them in the leadership crisis that rocked the party which has seen the return of Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State to his position as the interim national chairman of the party.
To achieve their aim, the aggrieved governors have resolved to sponsor candidates against the preferred choice of President Buhari for available positions into the National Working Committee (NWC) at the convention.
They also resolved not to give any cooperation to the Buni-led Caretaker/ Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
El-Rufai had categorically stated that Buni, who was out of the country on medical leave, will not return to his position as APC chairman because President Buhari who appointed him to lead the party in June 2020 had given instructions to APC governors to dispense with him.
According to him, no fewer than 19 governors of the party and one deputy governor unanimously agreed to carry out the directive of the president, saying the remaining three governors are the ones dishing out “fake news” that Buni has not been removed.
El-Rufai, who also said the national secretary of the APC caretaker committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, will also step down from his position further stated that Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello, who Buni handed over the APC chairmanship position to before embarking on his trip was fully in charge.
El-Rufai’s position was supported by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State who said majority of the APC governors are with Sani Bello while the minority, whom he described as ‘Yahoo Yahoo’ governors are still with Buni.
However, after some dramatic twists, President Buhari in a letter he personally addressed to the chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum and governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, dated March 16, 2022, directed the governors to allow Buni to conduct the party’s national convention.
Apparently angered by the development, El-Rufai at the weekend sent out a message to his fellow governors in which he threatened that a revolt may occur in the days ahead in the party due to alleged betrayal.
The message read, as shared, “Your Excellences, unity is impossible to attain when leaders that are in office, because we consented to it, are consistently erratic, capricious, corrupt, and deceitful. “Loyalty begets loyalty. Deception begets mistrust.
Betrayal begets revolt. Ineptness, greed, and selfishness threaten to destroy what has been built over nearly a decade, by those who didn’t even know how this party was put together.
Let’s restate that I am done with this charade, unless concrete, honest and transparent steps are taken to implement our agreed plans under a leadership we trusted. Thank you. Nasir El-Rufai.”
Daily Independent gathered that the message was leaked by one of the APC governors and El-Rufai has not denied that the message originated from him.
Speaking with Daily Independent, the presidency source said they are “aware of plans by some party leaders to embarrass President Buhari at the convention but we are also on top of our game, doing everything to checkmate them”.
Also speaking, a serving senator from the South-West who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “There is no doubt that those governors are angry with Buhari.
The options open to them are many. I don’t know what they will do at the convention but Governor El-Rufai has given us a clue of what is likely going to happen- a revolt”.
“I have spoken with my governor, who is also one of those against Buni and he said they feel humiliated the way President Buhari handled the leadership crisis. It makes the anti-Buni governors look like liars as if he never gave them instruction to effect the changes in leadership.
“But again, if you look at the issue critically, President Buhari at that point was in a dilemma especially with the letter by INEC rejecting the removal of Buni.
However, to the governors, he has embarrassed them and they will surely show their hands at the convention.
“Anyone the president picks as his preferred candidate will be axed by the governors at the convention.
That may also happen if he endorses any presidential aspirant.
“Also, there is no way they are going to work with Buni or even if they reluctantly agree to do that in the interest of the party, they won’t give him full cooperation regarding the conduct of the convention”.
