Stakeholders kick against planned February 26 APC convention

Some stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the auspices of APC Youth Development and Solidarity Forum have rejected the proposed February 26, 2022 date for the party’s national convention.

The group which made its position known at a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, noted the ruling party could potentially disintegrate should it proceed with the convention.

According to the forum’s Secretary General, Hon. Tobias Ogbeh, some party faithful have been working with foreign agents to destabilise the party at the convention.

He noted that the plan is to run a parallel secretariat and institute legal cases against the party to ensure that it doesn’t produce any candidate in 2023.

Ogbeh added that if not properly managed, this could ultimately lead to mass exodus of party members over unresolved and lingering legal issues.

The APC stakeholders, therefore, urged the party leadership to announce another date for the convention to save it from being hijacked by some vested interest that does not wish the party well.

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If this is done, they, however, assured that the APC will remain united and all those scheming to undermine the party would be put to shame.

Ogbeh who read the statement said: “We have it on good authority that a segment of our party members have been working with foreign agents to destabilise the party at the party convention. They have perfected plans to run a parallel secretariat of the party to institute legal cases against the party to ensure that it doesn’t produce any candidate in 2023.

“They are working together with foreign mercenaries to cause an internal implosion within the party. We also have it on good authority that these elements have also perfected plans to use the instrument of the court to disrupt the party activities by sponsoring frivolous court cases against the party with regards to the outcome of the convention.

“Sadly, these elements that do not mean well for the party are being accorded tremendous patronage at the federal level, not knowing that these same individuals are planning to rock the party’s boat by all means necessary.

“The leadership and members of the APC Youth Development and Solidarity Forum is alarmed with the turn of events in our great party as the elections approach. The signs that all won’t be well with the party are apparent, and our leaders have elected to put their interests first before that of the party.

“They have forgotten that the opposition party is consolidating and putting in measures to stage a dramatic return to power and also to infiltrate our party with moles who in turn feed them with our strategies towards the elections.

“We wish to state boldly that the overarching objective is for a mass exodus of party members from the party due to unresolved and lingering legal issues. So much so that it would deny party members and candidates the time to fulfil the INEC stipulated requirements.

“As concerned stakeholders in the party, we wish to state that all is indeed not well and should the party elect to go ahead with the planned national convention of February 26, 2022, that would undoubtedly mark the journey of the disintegration of the party.

“We wish to warn the leadership of the party to see this threat as real and do all within its means to avert the looming crisis in the party by looking for an alternate date for the party convention to save the party from being hijacked by some vested interest that does not wish the party well.

“The APC Youth Development and Solidarity Forum is aware of the tremendous sacrifices by the party’s founding fathers. It would be a great disservice for all the stakeholders in the party to watch the party disintegrate.

“We as stakeholders must rise to the occasion to ensure that the party stays united and strong to face the opposition during the general elections. We must also be mindful that the APC as a party remains the hope of the common masses. Any attempt to destroy it would be disastrous to our democracy.

“We must sustain the tempo and ensure that the very ideals for which the party came into existence are maintained and built upon. We must also do all within our means to continue to be that medium that Nigerians can rely on in delivering the dividends of democracy in the country.

“As a result of these, we call on the party leadership to act now in the best interest of the party and the country at large. The NEC of the party must have a rethink with regards to holding the party convention under a rancorous circumstance and atmosphere.

“Our firm belief is that our party would remain united, and all those scheming to undermine the party would be put to shame.”