The Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it is going ahead with the exercise, based on the advice of the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and its legal team.

It was announced in Abuja, on Friday, that the congresses would be held in 33 out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, while those of Zamfara, Kwara and Anambra states were put on hold until a date to be announced later.

A former Director General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Mamman Tahir, who is also a member of the CEONCPC, spoke at a media briefing, saying there was nothing preventing the exercise from going ahead as planned.

He said, “I am here this afternoon to reconfirm that our congresses

are on course to hold tomorrow. This committee is working closely with the Attorney General of the Federation who has offered advice that we are on good ground and we are comfortable with our position. So, our programmes will continue to roll on in the normal course of things.”

Earlier, the party’s National Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, warned members against flouting its rules.

Akpanudoedehe warned that the party would bring the full weight of its constitution on “any member or group” who organises “any purported parallel congress, parallel party organ and or parallel party office.”

He reminded all party members and stakeholders of the National Executive Council resolution of December 8, 2020.

The APC secretary said the resolution still “subsists and extends to the conduct of party members during the congresses. For purposes of clarity, may I re-state the relevant point in the resolution to wit:

“All pending litigations instituted by members against the party should be withdrawn forthwith, and going forward, no member should institute matters against the party, without exhausting the internal mechanism for conflict resolution, as enshrined in the party’s constitution.”

He further said, “Consequent upon the above, party members should please note that: (i) All activities that may be carried out by persons to put the party and its officers in bad light, before, during and after the congresses should be jettisoned.

“(ii) All activities or processes leading up to the congresses and thereafter which do not have the approval of the CECPC are exercises in futility. This is to say that: any purported; parallel congress, parallel party organ and or parallel party office, is to say the least a nullity. These divisive activities will not be tolerated.” (Extracted from a Saturday PUNCH report)

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