March 26 Intact For APC National Convention, INEC Has Been Informed – Ahmed

There is no need to forward another letter of notification to the Independent National Electoral Commission regarding the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention date, says Isameel Ahmed, a party chieftain.

Naija News reports that the politician stated this while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday.

He insisted that March 26 remains intact for the party’s national convention.

According to Ahmed, the ruling party had initially forwarded a letter to the electoral body for the earlier postponed date of 26th of February.

He said there was no need for another 21 days notification, stressing that the moment the CECPC agreed on the 26th of March, a letter was written to INEC and that the electoral body has accepted that letter.

Speaking about controversies concerning the party’s leadership, Ahmed who doubles as APC youths spokesman, said Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello was acting with the full authority of the caretaker committee, stakeholders, leaders of the party, and with the full consent of Buni.

He explained that while Governor Mai Mala Buni remained substantive Caretaker Chairman, Bello was only acting in his absence.

Ahmed said: “I’m not only a youth leader or internal spokesperson, but I’m also a lawyer and we have served a notice to INEC for the 26th of February earlier. We served that notice on the 5th of February and that was the required 21 days.

“If you are going to make any adjustment to that date, all you need is a letter, making an adjustment to the date. You don’t need another 21 days and that letter was since written about two weeks ago when we realised that we couldn’t hold it on the 26th of February. The moment, the CECPC agreed on the 26th of March, that letter was written to INEC, INEC has accepted that letter. So that is long gone is not an issue.”

Ahmed maintained that there was no issue about the convention date.

He added: “The issue of the date of the convention is not in question, not in INEC, not certainly with us. That is settled. It is sacrosanct that 26th of March and we have complied with all the rules and we have notified INEC as appropriately expected for us to do that. So that’s no longer an issue.

“Since the inception of this CECPC on June 25, 2020, whenever the chairman is not around and Governor Sani Bello is around, he acts on behalf of the acting Chairman. It has always been the case that has never changed. It has always been the case.

“And now we have a convention on the 26th of March, the chairman wrote a letter and transmitting, for his leave to go for medical treatment. These are two emergencies. He has a medical emergency that cannot wait for the convention. We have a convention that cannot wait for him to be healthy. So one has to leave for the other. The Chairman left, transmitted a letter, Governor Sani Bello has been acting appropriately. What is the problem? Why is it? Why is it difficult for people to simply understand that?“