…As Court Orders Parties To Maintain Status-Quo In Rivers Amid Disagreement Over Consensus Candidacy
It is no longer news that the All Progressives Congress (APC) held its Ward Congresses across the country last Saturday, August 30, 2021, to choose ward party executives. But worthy to note however, is the fact that some states have been split into factions while others adopted consensus candidates.
It will be recalled that the faction of the Rivers State chapter of the APC loyal to Senator Magnus Abe had on Friday, the day preceding the Ward Congress, announced a boycott of the congress. Members of the faction had accused the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, of masterminding the exclusion of their supporters from participating in the exercise.
Abe, a former senator representing Rivers South-East at the National Assembly while addressing his supporters across the 23 local government areas of the state said, “There is really no crisis in this party. The crisis in the party is that the Minister (Amaechi) said anybody who is with Senator Abe is no longer a member of the APC and cannot be entitled to any opportunity or privilege within the APC
“I want to say I have had a series of meetings with the national leadership and it is determined that there will be justice for party members in Rivers State. Don’t take the law into your own hands. Since you were not given forms and allowed to take part in the congresses, leave it.
“We will follow the party process and we will formally complain to the national leadership that this is what has happened. Since they didn’t give you forms, don’t go and waste your time. Remain calm. We will get to where we are going. We will follow the directives of the national leadership of our party.”
He noted that he had always been an advocate of inclusiveness in the affairs of the party at the state level and would remain one.
However, in a Motion Exparte, a Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice O. Ben-Whyte on Monday ordered all parties in a suit between Stephen Wonah and 6 others against the APC and Mr. Isaac Abbot Ogbobula (Chairman, Caretaker Committee of APC in Rivers State) to maintain the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction. The case with Suit No. PHC/1857/CS/2021 was adjourned to Thursday, August 5, 2021 for argument on the Motion for Interlocutory Injunction.
As evidenced in other states across the country, the Ward Congress has exposed the simmering crisis rocking the APC with the 2023 General Election less than two years away.
In the southwest, there were talks of a parallel congress in Osun State while members have agreed on a consensus option in Oyo and Ondo states.
In Lagos, a decision was yet to be made on a consensus candidate, as of the time of this reporting.
Meanwhile, the party has postponed its congresses in Anambra and Zamfara states.
The party’s leadership has also read the riot act on the conduct of the congresses.
APC in a notice to its chieftains by the Secretary, National Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John Akpan-Udoedehe, warned that the party would invoke necessary disciplinary measures on those who hold parallel congresses.
He reminded them of the National Executive Committee’s resolution, which directed members not to take the party to court unless it has exhausted “the internal mechanism for conflict resolution, as enshrined in the party’s constitution.”
Senator Akpan-Udoedehe insisted that the resolution still subsists and extends to the conduct of party members during the congresses.
Meanwhile, there is also division among national chairmanship aspirants in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the consensus candidacy proposed by Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni-led National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.
Although the committee hinged the proposal on the need to reduce acrimony, some aspirants have intensified lobby for elective convention and a level playing ground ahead of the exercise.
There is no definite date for the convention but the cries over the alleged illegality of the interim committee, led by Buni, may hasten the speed towards the national congress.
According to sources, the camps of two former governors of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura; Senator AbdullahiAdamu, and their counterpart from Benue State, Senator George Akume, are insisting on a democratic exercise, instead of consensus and imposition.
It is believed that these eminent founding chieftains are eyeing the position vacated by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole in controversial circumstance last year.
Other likely aspirants are Abubakar Mustapha, Sani Musa, DanjumaGoje and ModuSherif.
However, some members of the disbanded National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee, (NWC) are also clamouring for their reinstatement, following the Supreme Court majority judgement in Akeredolu/Eyitayo case, which appeared to have rejected the legality and legitimacy of the caretaker committee.
Last month, the National Secretary of the committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, stirred controversy when he said the party was recommending the consensus for the election of national chairman.
He explained the party leadership was confronting the challenge of integrating new defectors and accommodating various interests.
Akpaedoehede said: “We have more and more governors from opposition political parties, especially the PDP, who are coming to join us with thousands of their supporters; we have to make room for them.
“While doing so, we don’t want to take steps to push out those who are already within.
“We are encouraging states to adopt the consensus arrangement because it saves costs and reduces acrimony. That is why when you look at Article 20 of our constitution which talks about elections, the first thing there is for members to try reaching a consensus. When that fails, then you go to cast ballots.”
The ruling party had also unfolded plans to shock the main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by adopting consensus to elect its presidential candidate for the 2023 general election.
However, APC had proposed the plan without wide consultations and agreement among its various stakeholders.
Rejecting the consensus chairmanship option, a House of Representatives member and one of the campaign managers for an aspirant, said the option was suspicious and unacceptable.
He wondered why some chieftains were afraid of elections in democracy.
The legislator said:” Let us go to the convention and let a popular candidate win. An election is all about winners and losers. You can’t win all the time.
“The winner will always do the needful by commencing reconciliation processes after his victory. But, to impose a candidate as a consensus option will be resisted.”
Also, a chieftain, who feared that consensus may breed crisis, said: “The proposed consensus would defeat the idea of freedom of choice that defines democracy, adding that it may lead to the emergence of an unpopular candidate.”
According to him: “The PDP in all its troubles conducted an elective national convention that eventually produced Prince Uche Secondus,” adding that APC should not avoid that democratic path.
A group, APC stakeholders, also objected to the idea of selecting a former governor as the national chairman, saying that some of them may carry arrogance and impunity into the office, thereby affecting the smooth running of party administration.
In a statement by their leaders, Musa Musawa and AdamuKaguru and WahabOmolori, APC stakeholders said the party have competent chieftains who can lead the platform.
Kaguru said: “We know what led to the formation of the Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee. We know also what the party was about to face before the intervention. Let us be guided before making another mistake.
“We have nothing against the former governors as members of the APC, but we are worried about the modus operandi in running of political parties. They tend to behave as if they are still executive governors. They brook no opposing view.”
