Leadership crisis rocks Buhari campaign organisation

A major leadership crisis has hit the Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO), the body that has been at the vanguard of drumming support for the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari since the inception.

The crisis has already sharply divided the BCO into two parallel groups.

One of the factions is led by Alhaji Isa Aminu Bayero as National Coordinator, while the other faction is headed by Alhaji Danladi Pasali as acting National Coordinator.

The acting National Coordinator of the BCO, Alhaji Danladi Pasali, had a forth night ago, addressed a press conference in Abuja to mark the commemoration of Democracy Day in Nigeria as well as the two years administration of President Buhari.

The group then used the opportunity to offer prayers for the quick recovery of President Buhari as it brought fourteen Muslim clerics and six pastors for that purpose.

However, the BCO under the leadership of Alhaji Isa Aminu Bayero as National Coordinator, in a statement at the weekend in Abuja, disowned the other group, describing them as illegal and unrecognised.

The Bayero group disclosed that security agencies have already swung into action with a view to apprehending “these culprits who shall soon face the consequences of their nefarious actions”.

The statement personally signed by Alhaji Bayero, reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to an unauthorised group that has been parading themselves with our banner and using the offices of our National Coordinator on an ‘acting’ capacity.

“The Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) wishes to inform all and sundry that the said group is operating illegally without any constituted authority, and should be disregarded and not entertained as part of BCO.

“Security Agencies have already swung into action in apprehending these culprits who shall soon face the consequences of their nefarious actions.

“Finally, we remain focused and united in our support to combat corruption in our nation as we continue to create awareness regarding the excellent work of this administration.

“We urge our Nigerian citizens to remain peaceful and united as we continue to support the good work of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari in its resolve to discharge the panacea of anti-corruption in order to eradicate the fundamental problem of poverty in Nigeria”, it said.

The acting National Co-ordinator of the BCO, Alhaji Danladi Pasali, had at its press conference two weeks ago, declared that the President has laid the foundation of prudence in governance in the country.

In its reaction, the Alhaji Pasali-led BCO described Alhaji Aminu Bayero as an impersonator, pointing out that he had since been suspended by majority of the members as the acting National Coordinator of the Organisation.

Speaking through its Zonal Coordinator, Hon Ubale Marafa, the Pasali’s faction stated that it has already reported Bayero and his illegal activities to the Inspector General of Police for investigation.

Hon Marafa, who stressed that Bayero and his cohort have been going round the various states in the country misleading members of the BCO, vowed that they would not tolerate any act of illegality from Bayero.

They expressed the firm optimism that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with Bayero and members of his group.

“Bayero was a former acting National Coordinator of the Buhari Campaign organisation. But we have since removed him from and office over activities bothering on misconduct and abuse of office. We have since put in place another executive led by Alhaji Pasali. As things stand now, Bayero is an impersonator. We have already reported him to the Inspector General of Police. We did this because we are law abiding organisation and do not want to take the laws into our hands. We are aware of how he (Bayero) and his supporters have been going round the states to confuse and mislead our members. The long arm of the law will soon catch up with him,” Marafa said.

The factional BCO after a careful assessment of the two years of President Muhammadu Buhari at the nation’s helm of affairs, during its press conference two weeks ago, described him (Buhari) as an epitome of perseverance and an excellent example of patience for victory.

The group pointed out that Buhari has, in the past two years, done well in in the areas of security, fight against corruption and reviving of the nation’s ailing economy among others.

According to Alhaji Pasali, “the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration have done well in two years and we members of BCO are optimistic that they will do more in the next two years.

“President Muhammadu Buhari is good governance personified, epitome of perseverance and patience and an excellent example of patience for victory. He has laid the foundation of prudence governance on Nigeria”, it added