The Secretary of the Caretaker Committee of Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator John Akpanudoedehe, has disproved media reports saying he has resigned from his position.
The Secretary who said this while speaking to journalists in Abuja told the public to disregard such news.
It took place after the Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello, became the Acting Chairman of the Caretaker Committee in the absence of Governor Mai Mala Buni who has reportedly travelled for medical reasons.
Senator Akpanudoedehe said he would only resign if the President asked him to resign.
“ I have read in social media that I have resigned as Secretary of the APC. I want to state that it is not true; I didn’t resign. If I resigned, you would see my letter of resignation written by me. Someone cannot just say somebody is dead when he is alive.
“ I am not bigger than the party, or bigger than the President who is the leader of the country. I am waiting for my national Chairman to come back.
” If we have a directive from the President that we should resign, we are not bigger than the President; we will do so. Somebody cannot say, go and announce he is resigning,” he said.
He described his relationship with the new Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State, as very cordial.
Governor Bello said the party would soon release the zoning list for its forthcoming national convention, adding that the party’s leadership had adopted the report on the zoning formula.
Governor Bello spoke to newsmen after a closed-door meeting with the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee members, saying he would meet with the committee daily until the party’s National Convention scheduled for March 26 is held.
“Today, we looked at the convention sub-committee, and we collected some of the reports from the committee, hoping that tomorrow, we will decide on the next step to take.
Nothing much happened today.” He said.
He recalled that Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara submitted the zoning formula report to the Caretaker Committee on March 7. Governor Bello described the zoning system as a representation of fairness and equity in the party.
“The report of the zoning formula has been submitted and adopted, and it will be released any moment from now. I mean the zoning formula.
“Hopefully by next week, the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting will hold.” Bello said.
