Edozie Udeojo,Abuja
National chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has finally consolidated his grip on the party national secretariat as opposing forces in the national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC appeared to have sheathed their swords as Oshiomhole’s preferred candidated Arc. Waziri Bulama on Monday emerged as acting National Secretary of the party.
Waziri Bulama from Borno State was on Monday sworn in as acting national secretary of the party.
His choice and that of the immediate past Oyo State governor, Isiaka Ajimobi, as deputy national chairman South, have been trailed by protests from the governors.
Waziri took the oath of office on Monday at the party national secretariat.
In attendance at the event were the Borno State governor, Babagana Umara Zulum and his Gombe State counterpart, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.
Bulama is the choice of his home state governor, Babagana Zulum.
Bulama’s nomination had suffered a series of setbacks for several months as the party’s National Vice-Chairman Northeast, Comrade Mustapha Salihu kicked against his candidature and described this emergence as a product of narrow interests.
The Yobe State governor, who incidentally was the immediate past occupant of the office and has maintained that his replacement for the office must come from his state, stayed away from the event.
The North-East zonal chairman, Salihu Mustapha was, however, in attendance.
Recall that the Ekiti state governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi had since kicked against the choice of former Oyo State governor, Senator Isiaka Ajimobi as a replacement for Chief Niyi Adebayo, the erstwhile deputy national chairman South. The Ekiti state governor has said only a zonal congress could produce a replacement for Adebayo even as he maintained that the position was zoned to Ekiti State. Governor Fayemi insisted on Gbenga Aluko, the choice of Ekiti State chapter as a replacement for Adebayo.
Before the swearing-in ceremony, Comrade Oshiomhole said the event enjoyed the blessing of the Yobe State governor, Mala Buni.
The APC chairman who recently survived impeachment plot instigated by the governors, said the “party had a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Governor of Yobe and also consulted other stakeholders of the party who came to a conclusion that Waziri Bulama should be admitted as the acting National Secretary of the party pending the ratification by the National Convention.”
Oshiomhole said Bulama would assume the office in an acting capacity, pending his ratification by the zonal convention.
The Gombe State governor, Mohammed Inuwa said the choice of Bulama would add value to the administration of the party.
He said:” I am very happy that it ended this way. It took some time for us to have this replacement but what is more important is that at the end of the day, we are able to come to a resolution and the new national secretary has been sworn in today.
“We hope he will work with other leaders and consolidate on the gains of the party. I know Architect Buluma in the last 40 years. I know that he is a person of impeccable character, a person that you can vouch for and is very hardworking. He knows what to do. In fact, he has already started doing that trying to work and carry everybody along so that APC could deliver on its mandate and that is what he going to do.”
The new national secretary who lauded the contributions of the party founding fathers admitted that the ruling party was heavily fractured. He promised to restore unity in the party.