The Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to release the timetable for the conduct of congresses and the National Convention of the party before the end of the week.
An impeccable source in the party told The Nation that President Muhammadu Buhari had directed the Mai Mala Buni led Caretaker Committee to perfect their act, as he (President) was not ready to entertain any tenure extension for the committee at the expiration of their term come June 30.
To this end, the Caretaker Committee is slated to meet any moment from now to ratify the timetable and the list of members of various committees drawn for the conduct of the congresses and the national convention.
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party at its last meeting in December 8 last year gave the Mai Mala Buni led Caretaker Committee till 30th of June to conduct congresses and the national convention for the election of new leaders to run the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
The CECPC, which was constituted in June last year following the dissolution of the Comrade Adams Oshiomole led National Working Committee, was initially given six months to reconcile the various factions in the party, ensure that aggrieved members of the party in court withdraw all litigations and conduct a national convention for the emergence of a new NWC.
But the Caretaker Committee had to embark on the conduct of a new party register through membership registration, revalidation and update exercise as a precursor for the conduct of a credible national convention. It also used the exercise to clamour for and secure additional six months at the December 8, 2020 NEC emergency meeting.
A chieftain of the party, who spoke in confidence to our correspondent in Abuja, said that the Caretaker Committee in the last two weeks have been compiling names of members of various the committees for the conduct of the congresses and the convention.
It was further gathered that the ward, local government and state congresses of the party are tentatively slated for the first two weeks in June, while the national convention is billed for the last weekend of the same month.
The source said: “I can tell you that the coming weeks are loaded for the Caretaker Committee. They (Caretaker Committee) are to release the timetable for congresses and the National Convention after the Sallah break.
“Already, the list of various committees and sub-committees for the congresses and the national convention has been drawn. This will also be released after the necessary consultations may have been concluded by the party with those to serve on the committees.”
Giving an insight into the schedule for the congresses and the National Convention, the source added: “The tentative arrangement is for the ward, local government and state congresses to hold within the first two weeks of June, while the National Convention is billed for the last weekend of the month.
“In the weeks ahead, the Caretaker Committee will be receiving reports of the just concluded nationwide membership registration, revalidation and update exercise from the Governor Abubakar Sani Bello Committee while the Prof. Tahir Mamman led Constitution Review Committee will also be submitting its report.”
This development has foreclosed all speculations that the Caretaker Committee may be spoiling for another tenure extension.
For members of a pressure group in the party, The Concerned APC Members, the release of the timetable and other activities that will lead to the conduct of the congresses and the national convention were long overdue.
The Bauchi based spokesperson for the group, Comrade Abdullahi Dauda, in a telephone interview on Saturday, said party members had been expecting the timetable.
“The fact is many party members have been expecting the timetable since President Muhammadu Buhari told the Caretaker Committee that he will not sit in any meeting for tenure extension for the Mai Mala Buni led Committee. We learnt that Baba’s decision may have forced them to act.”
When contacted on the phone on Saturday, the Secretary to the Caretaker Committee, Senator John James Akpanaudedehe, said members of the party will be informed of any move by the Committee.
Efforts to make him confirm the development yielded no result as he simply said, “You can rest assured that we shall inform you (the media) and our party members of any decision of the Caretaker Committee whenever we meet.”
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