Rattled by last Wednesday’s minority judgement of the Supreme Court on the Ondo State governorship election, which punched holes in the legality of the actions of its National Caretaker Committee’s Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, members of the All Progressives Congress’ Caretaker Committee yesterday scampered to the Minister of Justice/Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, for advice on whether to go ahead with today’s ward congresses.
On the same day, a chieftain of the APC from Abia State, Kalu Agu, asked a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the APC from going ahead with its ward congresses today, as well as subsequent local governments, states, zonal congresses, and the party’s National Convention.
As for Buni, sources said he was also distressed by the Supreme Court indictment, and “he is seriously weighing his options about either staying as party Chair or returning to his job as Yobe State governor.”
Another source said the decision to consult Malami on the issue was in conformity with the directives of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Of course, Malami, after an elaborate analysis, cleared the Caretaker Committee to proceed with the ward congresses, assuring that Buni’s continued stay as Chair would not portend any crisis for the party.
The sources said Malami told the caretaker members that the Supreme Court judgement did not render the committee illegal and that it still “has legal capacity to undertake any action on behalf and in the name of the party.”
Malami said further that the judgement did not question the legality of all the actions taken by the Buni-committee since inception.
A member of Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Prof. Mamman Tahir, who confirmed this development, while addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, said Malami assured that Buni’s stay was legal, and would not turn the congresses into a nullity.
