Supreme Court: APC Ignores Keyamo, Goes Ahead With Congresses

The Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it would go ahead with its scheduled congresses across the country.

Naija News reports that this was made known by the National Secretary of the Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe at an emergency media briefing on Thursday.

Akpanudoedehe urged party members to remain calm as there was nothing to worry over the Supreme Court judgment that gave victory to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Wednesday.

He said, “We stand with our National Chairman, we will go ahead with the congresses as planned.”

Akpanudoedehe was flanked by Niyi Akintola (SAN) the lead counsel of the party in the Ondo State Governorship Election petition.

Recall that the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) had called on the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of the APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni to resign immediately.

The Minister was reacting to yesterday’s Supreme Court judgment in the Ondo State governorship election involving Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Eyitayo Jegede.

Judges had the Apex Court had unanimously agreed that it was illegal for Mai Mala Buni to be the governor of Yobe State and also hold an elective position

However, majority of the judges (4-3) dismissed Jegede’s appeal over failure to had the APC chairman as a defendant in the suit.

Keyamo called on the party to immediately stop all preparation and conduct of congresses nationwide.

He said: “Jegede was challenging the competence of Gov. Mai Mala Buni as a sitting Governor to run the affairs of the APC as Chairman of the Caretaker Committee.

“He contends that this is against Section 183 of the 1999 Constitution which states that a sitting governor shall not, during the period when he holds office, hold any other executive office or paid employment in any capacity whatsoever.

“In other words, had Buni been joined in the suit, the story may have been different today as we would have lost Ondo State to the PDP.

“Therefore, any other person affected by the actions of the Buni-led Committee will henceforth not fail to join him in any subsequent case in court.

“These includes any subsequent election matter in any part of this country and all the APC Congresses that are about to hold. The Supreme Court has just weaponised all those that would be aggrieved by the APC Congresses to proceed to court to challenge the competence of the Buni-led CECPC to organise the congresses and National Convention.

“The judiciary will subsequently destroy the entire structure of the Party from bottom to top.”

Keyamo pointed out that the Supreme Court has just given the APC a useful hint to save the ruling just before the beginning of its Congresses.

According to him, the planned congresses across the country slated for this weekend must immediately be suspended because it will be an exercise in futility.