Following the discord surrounding the presidency of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Farouq Rabiu Mudi has defended his position as National President of the association.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Mudi rebutted all allegations levelled against him by his predecessor, Arch. Ibrahim Kabiru. 

Kabiru had accused Mudi of being unduly elected, adding that the previous executives were “unconstitutionally dissolved”.

Mudi, however, maintained that he assumed office legally with the association’s constitutional powers.

He debunked Kabiru’s allegations, describing the erstwhile president as “Kabiru, a former National President of AFAN who served a single non-renewable tenure of five years that ended in June 2019 as provided by the constitution.”

“The same constitution that brought me into power,” he added.

Kabiru had kicked against Mudi’s appointment, adding that the National Working Committee (NWC) was illegally inaugurated.

According to him, the NWC that approved Mudi’s appointment was made up of impersonators. He claimed that the previous executives were “unconstitutionally dissolved”.

It would be recalled that on the 3rd of March 2020, the National Executive Committee (NEC) members held an emergency meeting in Abuja.

At that meeting, they inaugurated a 13-member National Working Committee (NWC) – a development that saw t election of Mudi as AFAN president.

The newly-elected NWC also claimed that Kabiru contravened Article 13, Section 1 of its constitution, by overstaying his tenure which had expired in June 2019.

Mudi has however called on Kabiru to put a halt to the allegations being peddled against the new executives.

He maintained, “As stated in the Communique issued during the National Executive Committee meeting held on 3rd March 2020, the constitution obliged the association to call a General Assembly of Farmers each year, which Kabiru failed to do during his tenure.

“He also exceeded the stipulated time of his stay in office by eight months with no intention of calling the National Executive Committee for elections”. 

The court has also served the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sabo Nanono with a letter restricting Kabiru from parading himself as AFAN President.

The letter also introduced the new National Working Committee, to the minister, AgroNigeria gathered.

SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA