The Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress, on Thursday, ordered state chapters of the party to go ahead with the local government congresses scheduled for Saturday.

This came barely 24 hours after a Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba was reported to have issued an order restraining Buni from parading himself as the chairman of the committee.

The Secretary of the CENCPC, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, while addressing the chairmen, secretaries and members of the various local government congress committees at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, reiterated the resolve of the party’s leadership to come down hard on aggrieved members, who took the party or any of its officials to court, without exhausting internal party mechanisms.

He enjoined the committee members to go about and discharge their responsibilities without fear or favour.

The Party Secretary also extended the warm regards of the Chairman of the CENCPC, Buni, who he said was unavoidably absent from the gathering, to the attendees.

Akpanudoedehe said he would not comment on the restraining order issued by the Asaba High Court “so that I will not be misquoted.”

Akpanudoedehe stated, “We also use this opportunity to reiterate the resolution of the NEC of our party to severely sanction members and their sponsors, who take the party to court.

“His Excellency, Mai Mala Buni is determined to carry out to the letter the instructions of our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, which is to rebuild the party from the bottom up. The process has reached an advanced stage.

“Rest assured that your assignment, as well as the earlier ward congresses nationwide, are legally protected. We are on a solid ground.”

He added, “Consequently, the CECPC ratifies and adopts the results of the party’s earlier nationwide ward congresses held on Saturday, July 31, 2021; however, any state caretaker committee that swears in any person or group of persons, who are not elected through a congress conducted by the designated National Congress Committee of the party, is null, void and of no effect. However, where there are still complaints, the CECPC will be fair to all.

“Accordingly, the CECPC hereby directs you all to go and conduct nationwide local government congresses on Saturday, September 4, 2021, as contained in the official timetable/schedule of activities released by the party.”

Article 21 (D) of the APC Constitution, 2014 (as amended), titled, ‘Punishment of Erring Members’, read in part, “(i) The party shall have powers to impose the following sanctions on members in accordance with the nature and gravity of their offences: reprimand, censure, fine, debar from holding party office, remove from party office, suspend from party office and expunge from the party.”

It had been reported that the President Muhammadu Buhari had, while presiding over the National Executive Committee meeting of the party on June 25, 2020, asked for the discontinuation of pending litigation by members against the party and its officers.

He had said, “It is important to discontinue all litigation involving members of the party, which are connected to issues of the party and in respect of which several court orders and counter-orders have been issued against the party and some specific members of the party.

“This directive has been issued by the party before; unfortunately, some members failed to heed the party’s directive, which must be effectively enforced with dire consequences for members, who choose to ignore the directive.

“I believe that the issues facing us at the moment are very serious, and as such, require that we take very firm and clear decisions that will be in the best interests of the party. We must instil and enforce party discipline.

“Failure in taking these measures, places our party in a difficult position that negates the years of struggle and sacrifice.”

Buhari subsequently proposed a resolution in that direction, which was unanimously adopted by all NEC members present.

It’s A Minor Shock, Says Banire

However, a former National Legal Adviser of the APC, Muiz Banire, SAN, told reporters that he was not surprised by the restraining order.

“I believe that this is just a minor shock. The implication is that at the end of the day, all nominations and congresses, including conventions, are endangered in terms of legitimacy,” he said.

A Delta State High Court sitting in Asaba had on Wednesday granted an interim injunction restraining Buni and other members of the caretaker committee from parading themselves as members of the CECPC pending the determination of the substantive suit.

Justice Onome Umukoro also stopped the scheduled APC local government congress in Delta State slated for Saturday.

The state Deputy Chairman of the APC, Olorogun Elvis Ayomanor, and other officials of the party had approached the court to challenge the outcome of the ward congress in the state.

‘Party Yet To Receive Order’

However, as of 5.37pm, the party had yet to receive a copy of the court order. A member of the party’s legal unit, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said, “As I speak to you, we have yet to get a copy of the order.”

When contacted, the spokesman for the concerned APC members, Abdullahi Dauda, said, “Unless we do the right thing as a party, this embarrassment will continue. Our leaders need to truly sit down and address issues; threats of expulsion and even expulsion are not the solution to this crisis.”