By Ihechi Enyinnaya
President Muhammadu Buhari has postponed themedical follow-up visit to United Kingdom earlier scheduled for today, Friday.
No reason was given for the postponement and a new date has not been fixed.
Meanwhile, the President in Abuja on Friday said the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been revived, energized and repositioned for its national convention and future elections, while commending the National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) led by Governor of Yobe State, Malam Mai Mala Buni.
President Buhari who spoke at the APC CECPC meeting at the State House, said the fortunes of the party had been brightened by the re-organisation and reconciliation of members across the party.
He said: “I have listened with great interest the remarkable job you have done so far,’’ he said. “We are all witnesses to the crisis that engulfed the party leading to litigations and presented a picture of selfishness and division.’’
President Buhari said the party structure was disturbed by the conflicts that preceded and followed various elections, noting that the secretariat had been witnessing a beehive of peaceful activities after the reconciliation.
The President told members of the committee that they will continue to enjoy the support of all party stalwarts and members to complete their assignment with the actualisation of the convention and leave an “indelible footprint’’.
“We want to leave behind a legacy of transparency and fairness, which the party needs to survive,’’ he added.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the CECPC said the committee approached the duty with commitment and dedication to rescue the party from imminent collapse.
The Yobe State Governor noted that all issues and members were given a fair hearing, and an open door policy was created to accommodate all those that were aggrieved, leading to withdrawal of cases in court and peaceful settlements.
“We are currently witnessing high powered decamping to our party, including governors from the PDP.
“The party is now more peaceful, orderly and accommodating than what we met on the ground. Although there was initial fear, the mobilisation and sensitization was able to allay the fears of members,’’ Buni said.
The Yobe State governor said the registration and revalidation of members across the country recorded more than 40 million members, and an appeal committee was also set up to hear all matters related to the process so that no member gets disenfranchised.
“We have observed that youth and women constitute huge population of the voting group. We had a youth and women committee, and also people with disability,’’ he added.
He said a Contact and Strategy Team had been set up in every state to come up with an acceptable template that would ensure transparency, credibility and acceptability of the internal electoral processes.
Buni also said the committee had instituted a process to review the party’s constitution and look into loopholes that usually fan conflict and litigations among members, with more than 500 memoranda already received.
The CECPC Chairman told the President and other party members that 14 party members had indicated their interest to contest for the Anambra State elections, assuring that the primary elections will be free, fair and transparent.