Marafa Asks Mai Mala Buni to Choose Between APC and Yobe
- The war of words between Senator Kabiru Marafa and Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state is still ongoing
- Senator Marafa who had earlier accused Buni of planning to destroy the APC, asked him to step down as the party's committee chairman
- The Zamfara APC chieftain stated that the party's constitution does not permit Buni to hold the position as a state governor
FCT, Abuja - Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa has dismissed the threat by the caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to expel him from the party for expressing reservations on the legality of the committee and its activities, describing it as an empty threat.
Marafa, who represented the Zamfara Central Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, had on Sunday, November 14 threatened to institute legal action against the chairman of the national caretaker committee of the APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state.
Source: Facebook
He accused Buni of violating the APC constitution in the conduct of the party’s affairs.
The caretaker committee through its secretary, Senator John James Akpanudodehe, had on Monday, November 15 warned Marafa to submit to party supremacy or be sanctioned.
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Reacting to the threat, Marafa said he cannot be silenced by the threat of the caretaker committee.
His words:
“Expelling me from the party will only aggravate the problem, it will herald the beginning of the agitation; rule of law must be respected.
“The committee is illegal and alien to the constitution of the party, we are building everything on nothing. Rather than the expulsion threat, the committee or the chairman should respond to issues I raised.”
Senator Marafa also listed what the APC constitution says and why he thinks the Buni-led committee is null and void.
His argument:
1. Section 17 (4) of the constitution of our beloved party, says 'no officer in any organ of the party shall hold executive position office in government concurrently. Article 20 states the only way the leadership of the party can evolve.
2. Section 13.3(iv) which was relied upon to create the illegal body called CECPC talked about the power of NEC to create committees.
3. Section 12.3 lists the party’s NEC members and it made the national chairman of the party and NOT the chairman of any committee by whatever name as the chairman of the organ while section 12.3 (xxxi) list the president and vice president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as members only.
He added:
“So the question is; who approved the constitution and subsequent extensions of tenure of office of the illegal and obnoxious CECPC?
“APC is a political party, not a committee, committees are created to serve specific functions not to usurp the powers of the entire legal entity.
“The function of the Mai Mala Buni committee is to plan a convention just as its name implies, Mai Mala is the chairman of the APC convention planning committee and not APC itself.
“This is the situation we find ourselves in. The chairman of APC today is an overzealous chairman of the convention planning committee only and a sitting governor
“Mai Mala Buni should choose between Yobe or APC The combination of the two is no longer tenable!
“We will show him the way out dishonourably We would not allow the party we contributed immensely to develop to be destroyed by over-ambitious self-centred and enemies of the party, and the country.
“This is the party we laboured, toiled and laid the foundation for its success. We will not allow those who have little or no stake in the party to destroy it or to please certain individuals and achieve their selfish interests.”
Says Caretaker Committee Chairman has a Mission to Kill Party
Senator Marafa had earlier declared that Buni is on a mission to “kill” the APC.
The Zamfara APC chieftain speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, November 14, questioned how the APC gave the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a 24-hour notice before conducting congresses, saying:
“This confirms to us that the Mai Mala-led APC, as it is today, is on a mission to destroy APC.”
Fresh crisis rocks Zamfara APC as party chieftains split
Legit.ng previously reported that fresh crisis has engulfed the Zamfara state chapter of the APC as the camp of the former state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, allegedly split into two over the recent state congress.
Yari's camp had in February this year collapsed with the faction of Marafa, following the intervention of the presidency and the national leadership of the APC, a development that ended the three years crisis in the state chapter of the party.
There was relative peace in the party until the defection of the state governor, Bello Matawalle, in June this year.
Source: Legit.ng
