Ahead composition of troubleshooting teams to reconcile aggrieved groups in All Progressives Congress state chapters, Senior Deputy Editor, TAIWO AMODU, examines the motive of the Odigie Oyegun-led National Working Committee of the party.
PENULTIMATE week, the All Progressives Congress, (APC) National Working Committee confessed that amity has taken flight within the ruling party. In a press statement made available to newsmen, it expressed regret over fractured state chapters and its resolve to redress it.
The statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi read in part: “Disturbed by the internal crises in some state chapters of the party, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has decided to set up peace and reconciliation committees to intervene in the affected states.
‘’Recently, some state chapters of the APC have been engulfed in internal crises, leading to suspensions of party leaders and other members. Concerned by this ugly trend and as part of preparation for its non-elective National Convention which is expected to hold not later than April 2017, the NWC has decided to set up the committees to resolve all outstanding issues in order for the party to have a united front going to the convention.
‘’The committees will be made up of senior members of the party and some members of the National Executive Committee (NEC). They will have the mandate to investigate all issues with view to finding a lasting solution and reconciling members in the affected states.
‘’In the interim, the party has directed that where actions have been taken and disciplinary measured applied, state chapters should be strictly guided by the relevant provisions of the party’s constitution on disciplinary procedures. Therefore, where those actions have been taken in breach of the processes and procedures that are laid down in the party constitution, such actions should be reversed and the status quo maintained pending the intervention of the peace and reconciliation committees.’’
Nigerian Tribune examines states chapters polarised into factions, as a result of the battle for control of state executive between incumbent governors and other party chieftains in their respective domains.
Kaduna: Governor El-Rufai, Sani in war of attrition
Senator representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Senator Shehu Sani and the incumbent governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai have been engaged in war of attrition in the state.
Senator Sani had since been slammed with indefinite suspension by the leadership of the party in the state.
The suspension letter which was signed by the party’s secretary, Mallam Awal Abdulhamid Garba accused the chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts of ‘’illegalities committed against the party.’’
Nigerian Tribune gathered that before his indefinite suspension, Senator Sani was placed on 11 months suspension.
The letter reads thus: “As you are aware, your suspension from the party for a period of 11 months elapsed today, being November 29, 2016.”
“The suspension which was in line with the constitution of our great party, was to enable you to defend yourself against illegalities committed by you against the party as well as breach of its constitution.
“We expected the period of your suspension to give you the grace of being remorseful, but you rather chose to play otherwise, and this made our party to be vulnerable to disunity, disharmony and further shattering the existing peace mechanism within our ward and the state at large.
“Therefore, in consideration of the constitutional provisions as contained in Article 21 (A) i, ii, iii, v, vi, and vii of the constitution of the APC, you are hereby suspended indefinitely from active participation of APC activities.
“This is in conformity with article 21 (D) i-(F) which provides punishment for any erring member of the party.
“With this letter, you are hereby warned to abide by the party’s decision.”
But in his official response to the action of the APC leadership in the state, Senator Sani accused Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, of instigating his suspension which he claimed was pronounced in error.
“For a man who has been unable to address the pervasive insecurity and genocide in southern Kaduna, for a man who has been unable to stem the tide of rampant kidnapping and abductions in Kaduna, suspending Shehu Sani cannot be counted as an achievement.”
Ganduje, Kwankwaso heat up Kano
The supremacy battle between the immediate past governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso and the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has taken toll not only on the state chapter of the party but also its zonal secretariat.
To the consternation of Senator Kwankwaso, his loyalists within the state executive have been axed on the order of Governor Ganduje.
Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa and the organising secretary, Sanusi Surajo Kwankwaso, were removed and replaced by governor Ganduje’s men: Abdullahi Abbas as acting chairman and Ahmed Muhammad, the assistant state organising secretary, as the acting organising secretary.
Nigerian Tribune gathered that the acting chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, was the Special Adviser on Political Affairs to the governor before his appointment.
A four-member fact-finding committee set up by the zonal leadership of the party had last October upheld the decision of the Kano State executive committee which removed Doguwa and Sanusi Surajo Kwankwaso, as it noted that it followed due process.
The Senator Mohammed Magoro-led fact-finding committee said when he submitted its report at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja that the sacked party officials did not show up despite the fact that they were invited.
Doguwa had since kicked against the recognition accorded Abdullahi Abbas by the party’s national vice chairman, Northwest, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir.
The ousted chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State said he remains the duly elected state party chairman.
He vowed to take all necessary actions as contained in the party’s constitution to safeguard the principles of the APC.
“I will do everything possible within the provisions of the party’s constitution to protect its principles and our hard earned victory in the last general elections.
“It is unfortunate that the people that contributed nothing to our successes in the last general elections are now trying to destroy our party.”
He said the APC national vice chairman had no right to remove any elected executive officer, describing the letter he sent to Kano as baseless and unconstitutional.
He said the APC zonal office was an advisory organ of the party which had no power to execute any decision as far as the party’s constitution was concerned.
He said: “This letter, I learnt, was sent to cause chaos in Kano.
“Abdulkadir is trying to hijack the responsibilities of the party’s national headquarters. Similar incident has happened in Ebonyi State.
But it was reverted by the APC national body. I am sure this decision will also be reverted.”
Doguwa said the Dutse meeting was not held in accordance with the laid down procedures for summoning a meeting as specified by the APC constitution, submitting that the decisions taken at the gathering could not stand.
The factional state APC chairman, therefore, appealed to party supporters to remain calm, assuring that he would follow the right channel to address the problem.
Bauchi: Dogara group unsettles Abubakar
Bauchi State appears to be the most volatile because of the pedigree of party chieftains battling for political space with the state governor, Mohammed Abubakar. Leading the combatants against the embattled governor is the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Yakubu Dogara. In his camp are Senators Ali Wakili, Isah Hammah and Suleiman Nazif.
They have been more vociferous in criticising the policies of the APC administration more than the main opposition party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party. Governor Abubakar’s anointed choice and North-east nominee into the board of National Communications Commission (NCC), Aliyu Sa’idu was rejected by the Senate.
Incidentally, both Honourable Dogara and Governor Abubakar are from the same senatorial district.
Nigerian Tribune checks revealed that a member of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Yarima also belong to the hostile ‘faction’.
The embattled governor has been unrelenting in his attempt, albeit, futile, to take his pound of flesh. His attempt to recall the senators met a brick wall.
Who reconciles Oyegun/ Tinubu?
Even as anxious party faithful await the composition of the reconciliation teams, they are however bemused that the national leadership statement announcing its intention to restore peace in troubled chapters was silent on when the committees would be inaugurated and neither did it unveil its members, fueling speculations that it was meant to buy time for the embattled Oyegun led NWC. They are, however, not bemused that the national chairman of the party, sermonising on the imperative of peace and camaraderie is embroiled in cold war with a national leader of the party and former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
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