Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State has urged stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to sheath swords and press on amicably ahead of the 2023 elections.
The governor, who on Monday declared himself the acting National Chairman of the APC, stated this at a meeting where he addressed state chairmen of the ruling party.
“By the time you get back, you will unite the party in your various states,” Governor Bello said.
“Please, please, please; let bygones be bygones. You have to bring everyone together, those that were for you and against you.
“What we want is a united, unified APC in your various states, because we have elections around the corner and we hope and pray that by God’s grace we will have a better result in 2023 than in 2019,” Bello charged the state party leaders.
He further urged the chairmen to remember those who elected them into office in their various states, adding that all steps they take must be ordered by the principles of fairness, equity, and justice.
Earlier on, Governor Bello presided over a meeting of the Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja. He told newsmen after the meeting that he is now the acting chairman of the APC, a post which he claims to have been holding for a while now.
His comments come amid reports that Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State has been sacked as the chairman of the Caretaker/Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee.
Multiple reports suggested that security agents had stormed the party’s secretariat ahead of the meeting but the Niger governor said there is no cause for alarm.
“Well, every time there is a major event, we beef up security. So, today, we had a major event because all the chairmen came with their supporters and there were too many people,” governor Bello said.
“So, to maintain law and order when you have too many people, you beef up security.”
He, however, said he does not know the whereabouts of Governor Buni and his current post in the party.
According to him, he has the backing of President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the party. He explained that they discussed the party’s convention during the meeting, expressing happiness with the work so far done to make it a success.
