APC Crisis: Prof Orikeze Tackles Gov El-Rufai, Says He Misinterpreted APC Constitution

An all Progressives Congress chieftain and former Commissioner for Information, Tourism and Public Utilities, Imo State, Prof. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe ahs reacted to Governor of Kaduna, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai’s interview on Channels Television.

Contrary to the zoning postulation of El-Rufai’s on zoning, Ajumbe said he interpreted constitution wrongly, saying that it is only after the President must have emerged that a principle party officer who is of the zone with him resigns.

He further accused El-Rufai of playing Pontius Pilate as he kept mum while Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe administered the party

He aslo said he was too hard and harsh on Buni during his interview session on Cahnnels TV as though they were in a boxing match.

The statement reads:

My Reaction on His Excellency El-Ruffai’s interview on channel TV on Wednesday March 9, 2022*

1. He misquoted the constitution of APC on zoning of the National Chairman and Presidential positions.

“APC constitution says that the National chairman and the President shall not come from the same zone. What it means here is an ‘elected President and not a presidential candidate” Simplified that when the President is elected, the National Secretary from that zone which produced the President shall resign and the position goes to the other zone. I guess he may be projecting a Presidential aspirant from the South who may have agreed to make him his vice Presidential candidate because H.E El-Ruffai does not ‘bark’ in vain.

2. El-Ruffai was silent during the leadership of His Excellency,Mai Mala Buni, the Governor of Yobe State and the chairman APC Caretaker committee and I believe that he did not support him. For all I know, Ell-Rufaai is not a member of THE APC Caretaker committee or it’s spokes person and does not have their mandate to talk on the zoning of the Party’s positions or on such official issues.

3. He used hard words on his brother governor H.E Mai Mala Buni as if they were on a boxing ring by using such harsh words which suggest that he was incompetent, selfish and intentionally tried to destroy APC.

4. The court order of November 2021 he brandished on the television may be true, but Mai Mala Buni committee made up of respected and responsible Nigerians might have viewed it as inconsequential may be after finding out the source or may have acted on it. It could not have been cited as a tool of destruction without first hearing from either him or any of his committee members are still available.

5. El-Ruffai interview yesterday on Channel TV portrailled H.E Mai Mala Buni, the Governor of Yobe State as being incompetent not minding the resultant damages it will cause him especially in his State Yobe.

5. The newly ‘appointed’ APC National Chairman should be careful with those ambitious Governors and persons who would want to appropriate him for their selfish interests. Some of them who lost out in Mai Mala Buni leadership have now regrouped to appropriate the new Leadership.

6.The new Leader should endeavour to legitimize his position by summoning an emergency National Executive Meeting of APC which has that power to ‘appoint’ or otherwise. The NEC also has the power to dissolve the entire committee and appoint new one.

*Prof. Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe*
APC chieftain and former Imo State Commissioner for Information Tourism and Public Utilities.