Fresh crisis looms in APC •Party to resolve 170 petitions, may dissolve state excos

IF what is brewing in Lagos will hold true for many troubled state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the reconciliation bid of the national caretaker committee is likely to birth a fresh wave of crisis for the ruling party.
Sunday Tribune gathered that about 170 petitions from various state chapters are before the Chief Bisi Akande-led presidential peace committee which the Buni caretaker body would attempt to resolve.

A faction of the party in the state led by Mr Fouad Oki has fixed an emergency executive committee meeting for tomorrow to fine-tune its proposed request to the Governor Mai Mala Buniled caretaker national working committee preparatory to withdrawing the legal challenge mounted against the factional exco led by Alhaji Tunde Balogun.

A major plank of the National Executive Council (NEC) resolution of last Thursday is the withdrawal of all litigation embarked upon by party members, groups and factions over the crisis within the party.

The major judicial engagement involving the party arose from its much-disputed ward, local government and state congresses of mid-2018, which culminated in the national convention birthing the now-sacked Adams Oshiomhole-led
National Working Committee (NWC).

Parallel executive committees emerged down the line in nearly all the state chapters, including Katsina, President  Muhammadu Buhari’s state of origin. Nearly all the factions not recognised by the Oshiomhole’s NWC also went to court.

Oki told Sunday Tribune that his faction is not going for half measure and has never sought such, considering its central
demand that the top APC hierarchy must first decide which of the factions’ congresses was lawful and constitutional before any form of reconciliation could be proposed.

His faction wants the new party management to decide if the faction loyal to the national leader of the party, Senator
Bola Tinubu was right to conduct its congresses in 57 councils and local council development areas (LCDAs), instead of
the constitutionally-recognised 20 local government areas, where the Oki faction limited its exercise.

The Tinubu faction also reportedly conducted its ward congress in 377 wards instead of the 245 recognised by the nation’s constitution.

It was learnt that after the Monday meeting, a letter will be written to the Buni caretaker team, intimating it of demands that would be a sine qua non to the withdrawal of the said suit.

Since the root of the said crisis is constitutional, Oki believes only a full dissolution of the state executive of the party in
Lagos would suffice. Other troubled chapters, it was gathered, could also demand such treatment for their states.

To him, adopting any measure like power-sharing would be curing alleged illegality with another illegality. It was also gathered that his faction would be demanding a fresh congress. Sunday Tribune has also been told that the coming special convention where a new national working committee is expected to be picked will completely alter the 2022  presidential primary permutations.

A source noted that the new national executive will pilot the affairs of the party for another four years and conduct the
said primary election.

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