There is a palpable fear in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) following the planned protests by some stakeholders against the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee’s (CECPC) delay in conducting the National Convention.

The stakeholders are also premising their protests on the continued delay by the CECPC to release the geopolitical zoning arrangements for the National Working Committee (NWC) offices. According to them, the protests are aimed at demanding the release of the zoning arrangements and date for the convention.

They believe that this would help the party to reposition itself before next year’s primaries. However, a member of the CECPC said they would only conduct a convention acceptable to all members. The source said any convention without the necessary structures and excluding some people would have problems.

Moreover, the source emphasized that the state congresses have not been completed. On the planned protests, the committee member said, “When somebody is trying to run for an office, he doesn’t care about the party. If we leave this party the way it is, it will collapse.

“So, we are trying to conduct congresses in Zamfara, Osun, Oyo and Anambra. “If we conduct a convention now without these states, what kind of convention would that be? Somebody can go to court and quash it. In Oyo State there is a lot of trouble, and we are going back there. In Taraba, we are doing appeal.

“We are just trying to put the right thing in place; we are not doing something that would not last. You cannot put something on nothing. We are going to do congresses in all the states. Which delegates are you going to exclude? What really happened in the past was the NWC not carrying everybody along.

“Those causing trouble In Zamfara, were they not people that took the party to court and made us to lose everything to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Nobody can bully us, because God has given us a job to do and we are doing everything right,” he said.

The source added that, “regarding the stakeholders, the CECPC has overstayed their welcome and their stay beyond December would jeopardize the party. “As a party that would contest election without an incumbent President, we need to prepare early.”

A party stakeholder who also spoke on a condition of anonymity said, “The CECPC has shifted the convention twice. It was shifted in December last year and June this year. According to him, the Electoral Act provides for 90 days for the conduct of a party’s convention after its congresses.

“Because of this provision, our National Convention must hold on or before January 15, 2022. “On the bases of this, members have started agitating for the date of the convention. Those aspiring to contest one position or the other in the NWC have displayed their posters at the National Secretariat in Abuja and \the CECPC is delaying.” Ex-Presidential Adviser on Constitutional Matters and a leader of the party from Cross River State, Okoi Obono-Obla, in his position titled: Corrigendum: When is APC National Convention, noted that the convention has been over delayed, adding that “I’m one of the founding members of the APC, and I will say something when things are going wrong.

”We envisaged a truly progressive party in 2013 that will do things differently from PDP. “It’s on record that the PDP two weeks ago conducted a national convention and elected its national officers. “On the contrary, the APC is pussyfooting about when its national convention will hold.

“Everything about the national convention is shrouded in secrecy, uncertainties, speculation, and indeed conjectures. Congresses from the wards, local government areas, and states have held. The APC philosophy and ideology frown on all sheds of such shenanigans and chicanery. So what is delaying the caretaker committee from fixing a date for the national convention? It will be terrible if the national convention doesn’t take place this year.

“The caretaker committee should please release a timetable for the national convention and not perpetuate itself in office. It has been in office for almost 16 months, and it is enough for it to finish its assigned responsibilities, including conducting a national convention,” he added.

Also, a group under the umbrella of APC Concerned Stakeholders last week demanded the resignation or sacking of the caretaker committee.

The group said, “There is no gainsaying the glaring reality that lies ahead, if the Mai Mala Buni Caretaker Committee is allowed to hold forth at this time the APC needs to close ranks, heal and return to the order that endeared it to Nigerians.

“Incidentally, the Abdullahi Adamu National Reconciliation Committee that is meant to help achieve some of these tasks is yet to fully kick off. Apart from the fact that the committee is still struggling to find its feet despite the huge task ahead and the limited time at its disposal, it is left to be seen how much this piecemeal approach the Buni committee has adopted, just to be seen as doing the needful, will help to get us out of the woods. What is certain however is that we shall not sit and watch a party we have contributed so much building go down the drain as a result of the selfish actions of a few.

“On the basis of the above and many others too numerous to mention, the Concerned APC Stakeholders is calling for the immediate resignation of the Buni Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee for their glaring failures in managing the affairs of the party; failure of which the committee should be immediately dissolved and a new committee whose task will be to immediately conduct the National Convention of the party be constituted.

“Let it be known that we shall remain firm on this resolve no matter the extent of threat or intimidation we may encounter. Having written personal and open letters to our leaders in the party, which we are sure, will receive their firm considerations, we are continuing with our campaign to ensure that the APC imbibes progressive principles and ideology as a sure way to the sustenance of the party.

Like we have always maintained, whatever we have done and will do in the future are aimed at restoring the values and core tenets that set APC apart as a distinct and progressive party. Unfortunately, it appears the committee lacks what is required to take us there,” he added.

(New Telegraph)

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