By BASSEY ANTHONY, Uyo

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom State has summoned a Board of Trustees (BOT) member, Group Captain Sam Ewang (retd) for convening what it termed ‘an illegal’ stakeholders’ meeting.

Ewang, a former military administrator of Rivers and Ogun states, is to appear before the APC State Working Committee (SWC) to explain why he convened the meeting where Niger Delta Affairs minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, was declared leader of the APC.

The party chairman, Dr Ita Udosen, told reporters after a meeting of the SWC presided over by him in Uyo that Ewang had no powers to convene a stakeholders meeting of the party.

Udosen said: “Looking at the party’s 2014 constitution as amended, precisely Article 25, page 89, Ewang had no legal right to convene a meeting outside the authority of the party chairman as well as State working Committee.

“On the issue of illegal stakeholders’ meeting convened by a former Governor of Ogun and Rivers States and a founding member of APC in Akwa Ibom State, His Excellency Sam Ewang, he (Ewang) quoted a section of the party’s constitution declaring himself as the BoT member and said he has power to convene a stakeholders’ meeting.

“Based on this, the State Working Committee wants to respectfully disagree with His Excellency. After consultations with the ligal department, we want to respectfully inform him that he did not have such powers and he doesn’t have such powers to do that.

“I have to tell you that at the national level in APC, there is no BoT. It has never been appointed, no caucus has been inaugurated and at the state level, we have not inaugurated that. This is because, whatever we do we take the offshoot from the national chairman.

“If I may refer you to the party’s constitution, article 25 page 89 of October 2014 as amended, you will discover that the power to convene any party meeting call it APC stakeholders’ meeting, is solely rest on the state chairman of the party, the State Working Committee and the State Executive Council.

Udosen said at the close of the party’s registration and revalidation, the state has recorded over 700,000 membership, adding that the state might be first to submit it at the national secretariat.

Udosen, who commended the APC family for the peaceful conduct and conclusion of registration/revalidation, said that party in Akwa Ibom is very strong and indivisible.

“As we are winding down the membership registration, we have clock over 700,000 membership of APC in Akwa Ibom State. APC has membership register in every electoral units made up of about 2980. Akwa Ibom State might be the first state to summit their material to national secretariat and I will be there in Abuja to witness it.

“Don’t listen to any body that says APC registration in the state is a failure, it was highjacked and all sorts of baseless lies.

“The 28 of February, some of our leaders commended the peaceful conduct of the party at the state, national level and most especially commended Akwa Ibom State Chairman of the party.

On the issue of support groups within the party, he advised them to register with the party to avert any friction as the party is preparing for congresses.

Udosen, who noted that the party was not against the growth and formation of support groups, warned all officers of the party against becoming a coordinator of any support groups let alone becoming a member, but to remain neutral.

“In times like this, that we are going into congresses, you must have heard about support groups spring up here and there. Our party encourage the growth and formation of support groups, it is the group that will make the party thick and energetic.

“But, I have to announce that as from today, any support group within APC must come to the party secretariat and register with the party will give them the guidelines so that we know which support groups that are working within the ambien of APC. We need to identify them.

“The State Working Committee advises that no state officer from state level to the chapter level and ward level should be a coordinator of any support groups let alone becoming a member. You must remain neutral till a time we bring up a candidate, that is where everybody will join in and work for a candidate of the party,” he said. (The Nation)

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