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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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ANPP drops suspension on Bafarawa, El-Katuzu
THE All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) has lifted the suspension on Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Bafarawa.
It also re-instated the party's Secretary-General, Sani El-Katuizu, who was suspended a fortnight ago.
Already, the ANPP's National Working Committee (NWC) has raised two committees to, among others, reconcile aggrieved members within its fold and inform Bafarawa of the new decisions.
The reconciliation committee is headed by Yobe State Governor, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, while the one to liase with Bafarawa is led by the Second Republic Speaker of House of Representatives, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke. Ume-Ezeoke's committee left Abuja for Sokoto yesterday.
The development did not unfold without some drama. Some groups loyal to Bafarawa allegedly seized the ANPP National Secretariat and announced the suspension of its National Chairman, Chief Don Obot Etiebet, from office for alleged dereliction of duty.
The move was, however, nibbled in the bud by Etiebet's admirers who regrouped to foil the plan.
As a result of the confusion, the party's National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for yesterday was postponed till further notice, and the two committees were directed to complete their assignments and submit their reports to the larger national caucus of the party.
Indications that all was not well were ominous at the secretariat as top party leaders did not show up for the well-advertised meeting scheduled for 11 a.m. At 10.45 a.m., the opposing group came and distributed its statement to curious reporters and attacked Etiebet.
Before this drama, the party's national caucus met late into the wee hours where some far-reaching decisions were taken, including the lifting of the suspension on Bafarawa and El-Katuzu.
But not satisfied, the aggrieved faction allegedly took over the party's secretariat, where the reportedly suspended Etiebet and installed his deputy, Lt. Gen. Jerry Useni.
It was not clear yesterday whether Useni accepted the offer as he was said to be a member of the Ume-Ezeoke truce team.
El-Katuzu has already taken over his position from his deputy, Dr. Francis Egu, who has been holding fort.
The pro-Bafarawa group held its meeting at the party's secretariat in the Central District while the Etiebet group met at the Yobe State Governor's Lodge in Asokoro District. In attendance were the governors of Yobe, Borno, Kano, Kebbi, Zamfara and Jigawa.
Also at the forum were the party's leaders at the National Assembly, Senator Usman Al-Bishir and Ahmed Saliq.
Etiebet, however, denied any rift within the party, saying it was stronger than before. He admitted some disagreement within its fold, saying it was an ingredient of democracy.
Reading from a prepared text, the ANPP chief, who was flanked by El-Katuzu, described yesterday's events as historical.
"This morning is a great day for our great party, ANPP. Arising from the event of the past month, the national caucus, the highest standing organ empowered by our constitution to resolve all issues within the party, met last night in my house and resolved as follows:
During the question and answer session, Ibrahim denied the emergence of a parallel executive under Useni.
According to the governor, he had earlier in the day spoken to the former FCT minister and " there was no indication of something like that."
He noted that the appearance of the general was to brief the forum of chairmen on the outcome of the national caucus and not to proclaim himself the chairman.
El-Katuzu corroborated Ibrahim's position, saying Useni merely came to report the outcome of the caucus's decision and not to install himself as the chairman of the party.
His words: "The national caucus sat down and took the decision and being one of the members of that committee, he has to come and brief the meeting, and that was precisely what he came to that meeting to do.
"There is no contradiction whatsoever in what Gen. Useni has done because he went to that meeting to brief other important organs of the party that were not at the caucus on Wednesday and he has gone to Sokoto on the delegation to see Governor Bafarawa."
Ibrahim quoted Useni as saying that he would not accept to be the acting chairman of the party.
"He told me when he went over to brief the chairmen, they said they were not going to accept all the decisions made. Then he told those who were there that he stood by the decision of the caucus because he is also among those who were supposed to go to Sokoto. He told me he has not accepted the office of acting chairman of this party," the governor said.
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