Some members of the All Progressives Congress have raised concern over the recently conducted ward and local government congresses of the party.
The party chieftains under the aegis of Concerned APC Stakeholders at a media briefing, on Wednesday, accused the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee led by Yobe State governor, Mallam Mai Mala Buni of indifference to the imposition of candidates by serving governors and certain chieftains of the party.
Tribune Online checks revealed that Appeal Panels set up across the states after the conduct of ward and local government Congresses have since submitted their reports to the APC CECPC.
The State Congresses have since been fixed for October 16 across state chapters.
National Convener of the Concerned APC Stakeholders, Sadiq Usman, who spoke with newsmen admitted that the APC Constitution made provision for Consensus option but maintained that what transpired at ward and local government Congresses were imposition under the guise of the consensus arrangement.
He alerted the party chieftains that the APC was set for self-destruction except for the state Congress and national convention were conducted transparently.
He said: “As part of activities leading to our National Convention, we have held Ward and Local Government Congresses in a very undemocratic way, clearly imposing leadership on members at the grassroots in the guise of the so-called ‘consensus’ candidate.
While we acknowledge that consensus is one of our party’s Constitutional provisions, it is an irrefutable fact that the APC Constitution did not envisage a situation where certain individuals, whether as governors, former governors or party leaders would coerce members into accepting a premeditated outcome as a mutually agreed option.
A forced outcome is never a consensus because any procedure that does not uphold the freedom of choice of individuals cannot be said to embody the progressive politics that APC ought to represent.
“We may have missed the opportunity to right these wrongs at the two levels where congresses already held, but the forthcoming national convention presents a perfect opportunity that we must take advantage of.
“Consequently, these Concerned Stakeholders demand that open contestation must be the only option for every position in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, rather than the imposition of anointed candidates in the name of consensus as was the case with the party’s recent Wards and Local Government congresses.
“We demand that the set of leaders that will emerge from the forthcoming national convention must be those who do not only have what it takes to give a new life to the APC in the interest of all members, they must be people with unquestionable characters and proven records of progressiveness.
“Therefore, stringent conditions must be given as criteria qualifying anyone to hold a national office in the All Progressives Congress.
“The question of the many ex-this and ex-that having to run the affairs of the party despite their glaring failures in previous responsibilities must not be entertained.
“We equally charge the party’s Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) with ensuring that the National Convention’s date, guidelines, and other arrangements are made public prior to the state Congress slated for October 16th, 2021.
“This will not only dispel the widely held belief that the Buni-led committee is playing out a script with its continuous stay in office, but it will also ensure proper and adequate planning for the convention.
“Conducting this national convention and handing over to a duly elected and constituted National Working Committee is even more germane at this point in time that many legal challenges have been mounted against the Caretaker Committee in the court of law.”
National Secretary of the APC CECPC, Senator John Akpanudoedehe however faulted the position of the group.
Speaking with Tribune Online, Senator Akpanudoedehe said it was expected that those who lost out during elections would always dismiss the processes that produced the winners as a charade.
He recalled that appeal panels were set up by the party national leadership for the aggrieved chieftains to seek redress and present their cases.
The APC CECPC national secretary further disclosed that from the reports submitted by the appeal panels, those expressing disaffection on the pages of newspapers could not prove their cases before the appeal panels.
“People have aspiration and if they failed or not met, they are bound to form the association. We will always look for credible candidates to win. It is their right to vent anger but consensus allows for cohesion and cohesiveness.
“I want to advise them to stay in the party and associate with the stakeholders and lobby them.
“We followed the Constitution of the party to conduct the process. The reports before us don’t give the impression that the processes were flawed. People should stop playing in the gallery.
“We set up appeal panels and I am not sure they explored the channel for redress. Even when they go, they can’t prove their case.”
“The national secretary also dismissed the claim that party faithful were not being carried along.
“We will continue to mend fences, I won’t say people are being carried along with hundred per cent but I can say the party is owned by the people now, not by power blocs or minority.
“They must trust the chairman of having the elasticity to accommodate everybody and bring everybody together.
“People will always complain when they lose. This Caretaker can say, since inception, we have never had it so good as a party. We have stabilized the party and brought more people to the party.
“Instead of vilifying us, they should be praising President Muhammadu Buhari for giving us a leader like Governor Buni to manage the party.”
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