Anxiety over defectors taking control of APC

By JOSHUA OMOLOYE

As the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) inches towards its national convention slated for Saturday, March 26, stakeholders have expressed the fear that certain executive positions have been conceded to one defector from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) considered as outsiders to the ruling party.

A group, Concerned APC for APC, told The Trumpet that though leadership selection through consensus process is not anathema in politics, it should not be done to the detriment of the principle of fairness, equity, and justice.

Mohammed Wali who coordinates the group said should the party cede powerful positions to just one of the tripods that formed the APC, others will definitely feel unwanted and neglected. Wali said: “if what we are hearing is true, then it will be unfortunate that former PDP decampees are taking over APC leadership.

“How would you explain a situation in APC where we would have Senator Abdullahi Adamu as National Chairman and Senator Ken Nnamani as Deputy Chairman South. Though, they are our members but the fact remains that they are decampees from the PDP.”

He said the group had it on good authority that in the clandestine consensus arrangement, the leadership of APC has settled for “Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Deputy Chairman (North), Sen Iyiola Omisore as National Secretary, Hon Victor Gaidom as Vice Chairman South South) and Osita Medener as Vice Chairman (South East).

He spoke further: “Looking at all these personalities,they are all former members of PDP. Are we saying there are no eminently qualified foundation APC members who are suitable for these positions.

“Should these permutations be correct, can we say our leaders are doing this to further polarize the ranks of PDP and boost APC chances for victory in their respective areas? “Should the party go into Saturday’s convention with this arrangement, definitely the crisis rocking APC will be far from being over.”

A former Director General of the Progressives’ Governors’ Forum, (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman, had alleged a plot to impose leaders from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the legacy parties that formed APC, The Trumpet gathered.

Luknan alleged that the plot to entrench CPC members in the new NWC was part of By JOSHUA OMOLOYE, ABUJA sentiments shared at the recent London meeting of three ministers namely, Hadi Sirika (aviation), Adamu Adamu (education) and Abubakar Malami (Justice/Attorney General) with President Muhammadu Buhari.

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He said: “So-called old CPC leaders should stop projecting President Muhammadu Buhari as a leader of only a section of the party members. The President is the leader of all members of the APC and all Nigerians. “Some old CPC members, should also be reminded that, in their rights, they have what it takes to successfully negotiate their emergence as leaders and candidates of the party without resorting to undemocratic practices of imposition.

“Many of them are highly respected leaders of the APC therefore, given free and fair environment for electoral contests within the APC, they can win elections to emerge as party leaders and candidates for elective offices. “Often, individual politicians with selfserving agenda have used it to impose themselves on party members as candidates for elections. Although, there are many instances whereby imposed candidates win elections, there are also many instances when acts of imposition destroy the electoral advantages of the parties leading to loss of elections.

“This was partly, reason for large-scale defeat of CPC in 2011 election in Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi, Katsina and many other states. “APC leaders and members should therefore, appeal to these old CPC leaders to properly integrate themselves in the structures of the party and develop needed confidence to freely negotiate for leadership positions in the party based on ability to mobilize support to win majority votes.”

He, however, agreed that consensus arrangement where possible for any of the positions will help reduce conflicting interests. “This implies that stakeholders will reach agreement on specific individuals who will emerge as party leaders. So far, the process has achieved some degree of success as the new leaders of the party from wards to local governments and states have emerged through consensus.

“With the National Convention scheduled to hold March 26, 2022, the process of achieving consensus is similarly expected to produce new national leaders. “Already, following meetings of the CECPC, Progressive Governors and other party leaders with President Buhari, some initiatives aimed at achieving consensus leading to the emergence of new national leaders have commenced,” he added.