The National Vice Chairman (South-South) of the All Progressives Congress, Hilliard Eta, has debunked claims by his colleague from the North-East, Mustapha Salihu, that Waziri Bulama was imposed as acting National Secretary.
Eta who said this in a telephone interview in Abuja, on Wednesday, explained that the National Working Committee of the party was left with no choice but to take a decision when Salihu failed to put in place a process for his zone to produce a replacement for the former Secretary and now Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, within six months.
In response to a question on whether Salihu’s claim of imposition was genuine, he said, “It’s not true.”
Explaining what transpired during Tuesday’s NWC meeting, Eta said, “The chairman presided over the meeting, and when it got to the item of the secretary of the party, we all took the decision to have (Waziri) Bulama to act as the National Secretary and he (National Vice Chair, North-East) didn’t like that, that was what happened.
“The emergence of the acting National Secretary was a decision of the NWC based on the recommendations of a majority of stakeholders of the party in the North-East.”
When asked what happened to the usual practice of states nominating replacement for an official who either resigns or is given an appointment, he said, “You have to leave the politics of the North-East to the people of the North-East. They unanimously recommended Bulama to us.”
He further explained that, “The National Vice Chairman, North-East, was given six months to create a process for the replacement of the national secretary and as I daresay, six months is enough time for him to have done what he was asked to do.
“The party cannot wait forever to fill that position because it is a very important position in the party, we cannot wait indefinitely. After six months, the party was left with no choice but to take a decision.
“He is my friend; he is my brother. But we must all learn to accept decisions that are taken by the majority of members even if you do not agree. That is leadership.”
Recall that the party’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who hails from Edo State, replaced his predecessor, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun; the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Isa-Onilu, who is from Kwara State, replaced Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who also hails from Kwara State.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress is set announce Bulama as the new National Secretary of the party.
Our correspondents gathered that his nomination has been accepted by the NWC led by Oshiomhole.
The position is zoned to the North-East and further ceded to Borno and Yobe states.
The position became vacant after the last occupant, Buni, was sworn in as governor of Yobe State.
Recall that the National Vice Chairman (North-East), Mustapha Salihu, had stormed out of the meeting on Tuesday to protest the process leading to the emergence of Bulama.
But a member of the NWC told our correspondents that the council had accepted the nomination and would present it to the National Executive Committee at the next meeting for ratification.
He said, “We have accepted his nomination and gave it our blessing notwithstanding the objection raised by the national vice chairman from his zone.
“We adopted him and he would act as the National Secretary pending the ratification or rejection by the NEC.”
When contacted, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, refused to give details of what happened at the meeting.
He said, “We will always follow our established means of communicating our decisions anytime we need to.”
But Ogala confirmed to our correspondents that he moved the motion for the appointment of Bulama and it was properly seconded.
“Yes, it is true I moved the motion. He (Bulama) will act until ratified, that is our consensus. The NEC will ratify or reject. The NWC has done its job.”
