President Muhammadu Buhari, has directed Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to meet with all Ministers who are Lawyers in his cabinet, on Saturday.
The move was meant to douse the tension sparked by the minority ruling of the Supreme Court on the legality of actions taken by the party’s Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, headed by the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.
Sequel to the President’s directive, Vice President Osinbajo had summoned a session with the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, SAN, and the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, who is not a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.
The session debated on the status of the CECPC Chairman, and whether the party should proceed with the Ward Congresses beginning today.
A reliable source said that the majority of participants at yesterday’s session, “spoke in the right direction, and supported the suspension of the Congresses, in order to avoid any consequence on the party’s fortunes in 2023.
“They also favoured a proposal to ask Buni to step aside in the light of the judgement.
“But Malami at the meeting, stated that there will not be any legal or constitutional obstacles, if Buni leads the Caretaker Committee to conduct the Congresses. They are of the strong opinion that the judgement does not affect the status of Buni or APC.
“Those concerned also pleaded that Buni should not be disgraced out of his seat. They demanded an ingenuous way of resolving the aftermath of the judgement of the Supreme Court.
“The VP is expected to get back to the President on the aggregate opinion of the meeting. Although, the President mandated him to take appropriate decision, he will still defer to the number one Leader.”
The President was yet to make his final decision at the time of filing in this report.
More news later…