Fresh facts have emerged on why President Muhammadu Buhari approved the immediate removal of the National Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni.
Buni was removed and replaced with his Niger State counterpart, Abubakar Sani Bello on Monday.
A founding member of the party close to the Presidency told The Network that Buni was removed for three major offenses which did not go down well with the President, his handlers and the party hierarchy.
The source that the President was worried about the allegation of corruption and sharp practices which marred the State congresses and foisted so much conflict on the party.
The source said that the congresses left many key players disgruntled and put the President in a difficult position.
“The primaries or congresses generated so much conflict which was worrisome.
“He first went to Anambra, it was a misadventure. In the primaries in South, Ogbonnaya Onu and Co, are marginalized. Ngige feels marginalized.
Orji Uzor and others are marginalized in Abia ; Nnamani, Osita Okechukwu and co are marginalized in Enugu.
“In Imo , no matter how you look at them, Araraume and others marginalized. In Akwa Ibom, suddenly people are trying to make Godswill Akpabio go empty-handed because you have a man sitting there as Secretary of the CECPC.
“So this thing that happened is the fall out of the Congresses.
The source said that another ‘sin’ of Buni which irked the President and his men was his decision to set up a committee on zoning after Governor El Rufai had announced the party’s decision on zoning, to swap positions between the North and the South
“Secondly when this issue of zoning that El Rufai announced happened, Buni still went ahead and constituted a committee. What for? So for Mr President, it is like, is this man not aware that we have tied this issue? What is the need for the committee?”
The APC chieftain said that the third offence which angered the President who had shown reluctance to remove Buni was his strongly speculated bid to succeed himself. Buni was said to the indecisive on the issue of the National Convention of the party.
He was said to have left the party in doubt about the possibility of holding the National Convention by March 26, as scheduled by his committee.
The source said that Buni had left everybody in doubt about the feasibility of the Party holding the convention in March, 26.
Investigation revealed that top Party leaders are not even sure if Buni wrote the Indepedent National Electoral Commission to give the requisite 21 days notice for the convention.
“Now there are reports that we didn’t write INEC to hold the convention. It means that conversely you are trying to postpone the convention.Any decision must be obeyed immediately. Now it is beyond the 21 days unless he had written.” He added
