… Members demand cancellation
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned reported cases of violence that rocked its state congresses held last Saturday to elect delegates for the planned national non-elective convention nationewide.
National Chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun in a statement in Abuja, Thursday, said although, most of the state congresses were peaceful and conducted in compliance with the guidelines and directives given by the party to the appointed congress committees.
But, added that the party received report of violence in Rivers and Kaduna states and described the situation as quite disturbing.
Odigie-Oyegun particularly said that the party regretted the attacks in Kaduna which led to two journalists sustaining injuries.
“The party will investigate the reported cases and take necessary actions in line with the party’s constitution against whoever is found culpable. The party congratulates and commends all the states whose exercise went peacefully. Where grievances have been reported, the party shall examine such cases and address them accordingly”, he said.
Meanwhile, aggrieved members of the APC in Rivers State on Thursday called for the cancellation of the congress and demanded that a proper exercise be conducted.
The members posited that what happened in the state could not be considered as a congress, adding that results were written and taken to Abuja without the conduct of any congress.
The members made their position known when an appeal panel set up by the national office of the party visited the state.
The aggrieved party members, who submitted their reports from various local government areas, told an appeal panel that visited the state that it was wrong for a few persons to continue to decide for the party.
Deputy Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Peter Odike, expressed the need for the local government congress reportedly held in the 23 local government areas of the state on Saturday to be cancelled.
Odike said, “The purported congress never held in any of the 23 local government areas. There was no time the state working committee of the party held a formal meeting to discuss the holding of local government congress in the state.
“The flagrant imposition of delegates has severely divided the party. We in the APC left the Peoples’ Democratic Party in protest against impunity and the lack of internal democracy. There was nothing to show that election took place in any local government area in Rivers State.”
Also, a former commissioner for Labour and Employment in the immediate past administration, Dr. Ipalibo Harry, alleged that local government congresses never held because the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, never wanted the lawmaker representing Rivers South East, Senator Magnus Abe, to be the governor of the state.
Harry said, “The cause of the crisis in the party is because the Minister of Transportation does not want Senator Magnus Abe to be governor of Rivers State.
He warned that opposition to Abe will further kill the party in the state.
“Let me say it now that representatives of the national leadership are here. Any attempt to deprive Senator Abe from contesting for the party’s ticket for the 2019 governorship election will decimate the party in Rivers State.”
Also, the state APC Legal Adviser, Mr. Chieme Chinweikpe, added that it was undemocratic for a few persons to doctor results that were taken to Abuja.
“The state chairman of the party, and the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, are behind that list. There is no exco in the Rivers State APC. The state chairman is either in Abuja or Lagos. We want congresses to be conducted in our party,” Chinweikpe said.
In his response, the appeal panel secretary, Col. Abdulazeez Musa (retd.), said the panel had received their complaints and would take them to the national executive of the party, adding that APC would not repeat the mistake of the PDP by sidelining members, adding that the party was alive in Rivers.
Musa added, “APC is alive in Rivers State. We have heard from you and we assure you that we are going to collate everything and submit to the national headquarters. They will do justice to it; that is why they sent us here.”
