With only 21 days to its national convention in Abuja, the All Progressives Congress (APC) seems to be racing against time to put its house in order and resolve the crises sparked by the last state congresses.

Despite the Thursday inauguration of 34 of the state chairmen in Abuja and the recent efforts of the party’s national secretariat to reconcile feuding interest groups, The Nation can now report that factionalism persists and constitutes a potential threat to the success of the convention.

An example is Enugu State where Dr. Ben Nwoye is laying claim to the position of state chairman against Chief Ugochukwu Agballah who returned to a tumultuous reception in Enugu from Abuja.

Efforts are still ongoing to unite the party factions in Sokoto and Kano, the two states whose chairmen were absent at the Thursday event.

The Chairman of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, met with the two factions of the party in Kano State in Abuja on Friday night.

Leading one faction is Governor Abdullahi Ganduje while Senator Ibrahim Shekarau leads the other.

Aggrieved chieftains and factions of the party in some other states continue to kick against the recognition of rival factions, claiming that the issues at stake have not been resolved.

Sources in Sokoto and Kano State told The Nation that the battle for the control of the party intensified following the failure of the APC national leadership to give its nod to either of the two factional chairmen being paraded in the states.

In the case of Kano State, leaders of the two factions had gone to Abuja on Thursday hoping to be recognised only to be disappointed.

A source said: “While Shekarau and his people were banking on the court judgment that affirmed the chairman-elect that emerged from their factional state congress to clinch the position, Ganduje was banking on his position as a member of the Governors’ Forum, as well as the report of the State Congress committee sent to monitor the congress held by his faction last year.

“It came as a surprise to us all as politicians that neither of the two chairmen-elect got inaugurated.

“The implication is that the crisis here in Kano is not anywhere near the end. In fact, fresh twists are daily being introduced into the crisis by the gladiators, leaving party members more confused.”

Last month, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja dismissed two motions filed by the Ganduje-led faction. This came on the heels of earlier rulings of the court on November 30 and December 17, 2021, affirming Haruna Danzago of Shekarau’s faction as state chairman-elect.

In Rivers State, the Senator Magnus Abe faction of the APC has vowed not to recognise Chief Emeka Beke, a staunch supporter of the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as the state chairman of the party.

In the case of Kano State, leaders of the two factions had gone to Abuja on Thursday hoping to be recognised only to be disappointed.

A source said: “While Shekarau and his people were banking on the court judgment that affirmed the chairman-elect that emerged from their factional state congress to clinch the position, Ganduje was banking on his position as a member of the Governors’ Forum, as well as the report of the State Congress committee sent to monitor the congress held by his faction last year.

“It came as a surprise to us all as politicians that neither of the two chairmen-elect got inaugurated.

“The implication is that the crisis here in Kano is not anywhere near the end. In fact, fresh twists are daily being introduced into the crisis by the gladiators, leaving party members more confused.”

Last month, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Abuja dismissed two motions filed by the Ganduje-led faction. This came on the heels of earlier rulings of the court on November 30 and December 17, 2021, affirming Haruna Danzago of Shekarau’s faction as state chairman-elect.

In Rivers State, the Senator Magnus Abe faction of the APC has vowed not to recognise Chief Emeka Beke, a staunch supporter of the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, as the state chairman of the party.

A source close to the Senator told our correspondent that the faction, at a meeting in Port-Harcourt on Friday, resolved to continue their rejection of the congresses that produced Bekee and other members of his executive committee.

Said the source: “We have constantly stated that the outcome of their congresses will not stand sincere scrutiny, and that is what we are insisting on.

“All along, we complained to the National Secretariat of our great party that there was no ward congress in Rivers. Since there was no ward congress in Rivers, there can’t be a valid state congress for the state.

“I and others petitioned the National Secretariat.

“At a point, the party then stated how things should be resolved. Those things were not resolved. A faction hacked everything.

“We petitioned the National Secretariat and a delegation was sent to verify our petition. They found out that our petition and complaints were genuine and right.

“So, we were waiting for the National Secretariat to take a position on that, then we heard of the inauguration of someone as state chairman. That also will not stand as we will continue to challenge it.”

Last October, the Abe-led faction inaugurated a parallel executive. The move was made four days after Amaechi’s group announced its new state executive.

Before the APC state congresses held in October 2021, chieftains and members of the party had warned of a looming crisis, especially after the Supreme Court, in a ruling, sacked the Abe faction caretaker committee chairman, Igo Aguma, from office.

Party sources added that the inauguration of Beke has opened old wounds in the party.

Mum has been the word from the former Governor Ibikunle Amosun-led faction of the APC in Ogun State following the recognition of Chief Yemi Sanusi, a loyalist of Governor Dapo Abiodun, as the state chairman of the party on Thursday.

But The Nation learnt that leaders of Amosun’s faction of the party in the state have met to discuss the faction’s next line of action ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The two sides have been locked in a fierce battle for the control of the party since 2018.

But the recognition of Sanusi appears to have taken the initiative away from Amosun and his men. With the 2023 elections fast approaching, it is unlikely that the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party will abate.

“We are politicians and we will respond appropriately very soon. For now, we are meeting to decide what should be done next. Senator Ibikunle Amosun remains a leader of the APC in Ogun State,” a source close to the former governor said.

The situation in Abia State has taken a turn for the worse following the recognition of Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu as state chairman.

A few hours to the Thursday event in Abuja, an Abia State High Court sitting in Ukwa refused to grant an interim ex parte order to stop him from being inaugurated.

Ononogbu emerged at a special congress held on January 8, 2022. He belongs to the group loyal to the Secretary of APC Contact and Strategy Committee, Chief Ikechi Emenike.

But a faction in the party, which has continued to fight for the control of the leadership structure even after losing out in the congress, went to court and filed a suit to stop the scheduled inauguration.

The faction, led by Donatus Nwankpa, enjoys the backing of Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.

“The Nwankpa faction has as usual rejected the inauguration of Onionogbu. They have vowed to take over the party and we are ready to face them,” our source said.

The party in Enugu State is facing a fresh challenge after Dr. Ben Nwoye declared that he remains state chairman against the Abuja-recognised Chief Ugochukwu Agballah.

Moments after Agballah returned to the state to a tumultuous reception by members of the party, Nwoye addressed a press conference, claiming that he is still in charge of the party as chairman.

Agballah, on the other hand, told his supporters at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu that he was set to turn around the fortunes of the party in the state.

He said the APC has come with vigour to break the 24-year-old political monopoly of the state by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Today marks the end of monopoly. Today marks the end of senatocracy. Godfatherism is dead,” he said.

However, speaking with journalists in Enugu, Nwoye dismissed the claim made by Agballah, insisting that nobody was sworn in on Thursday in Abuja as Enugu State Chairman.

He stated that the caretaker committee under his leadership was still in charge of the party in the state at the moment. He insisted that the crisis rocking the party in the state would be amicably resolved soon.

He said: “APC is a restored party. There’s no victor, there’s no vanquished. APC in Enugu is united.”

According to him, since nobody has been inaugurated as Enugu chairman, he remained the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the party in the state.

In Zamfara, Senator Kabiru Marafa’s faction of the party dismissed the recognition of Governor Bello Matawalle’s factional executive of the party as a charade.

Spokesman for Marafa’s faction, Bello Bakyasuwa Maradun, said the recognition of Matawalle’s faction negated all principles of strategic thinking for building an enduring party that can weather the storm of 2023.

He said: “Our faction followed due process in conducting congresses at all levels that led to the emergence of a complete structure with Sirajo Garba Maikatako as state chairman.

“We also went to court to contest the legality of the congresses conducted by the government’s faction because of the breaches associated with them, including the questionable stand of their party’s membership and relevant notice enshrined in the APC constitution.

“Until the court decides on this, we consider the government faction as illegal and sustain loyalty to our legitimate factional structure. Henceforth, we will continue to enjoy watching this act of madness.”

The situation is not different in Kwara State where Ibrahim Sharafadeen, the Publicity Secretary of the APC faction loyal to Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed, said the crisis in the state chapter was far from over.

His words: “We are still at a loss as to how the chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee came to the conclusion that all the aggrieved party members in Kwara State have been reconciled.

“The claim, therefore, by Mai Mala Buni-led committee that the protracted crisis in Kwara APC was resolved is a lie from the pit of hell, which could be likened to an offensive odour of fart from a lift.

“It might be true that the crisis in Gombe, Ogun, Osun and other states as claimed, but certainly not that of Kwara State.”

The Andy Uba faction of the party in Anambra State is still savouring the recognition of Basil Ejidike as chairman by the national secretariat while the faction led by Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige insists that Ejidike has been sacked from the position.

The factional publicity secretary, Okelo Madukaife, in a statement, hailed the national leadership of the ruling APC for not swearing in Ejidike.

He said: “Our dynamic chapter of APC congratulates the National Leadership of our great party for the wisdom contained in the decision not to swear in anybody as Chairman of Anambra State Chapter of APC.

“This noble decision validates the position of the mainstream of our party in Anambra State that 2018 officials remain in charge of our affairs until congresses can hold, as leadership abhors a vacuum.”

State Chairmen to take the oath of office before convention

The new state chairmen of the APC who were issued with certificates of return last Thursday by the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) are now to take their oath of office and oath of allegiance before the February 26 national convention of the party.

The Nation gathered yesterday that but for the crises in Enugu, Kano and Sokoto state chapters of the party, the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) would have administered the oath on the state chairmen on Thursday.

During the Thursday event, the names of the chairmen of Kano and Sokoto states were conspicuously missing on the list of chairmen issued with a certificate of return while that of Enugu State had his certificate withdrawn.

But a well placed party source told The Nation last night that ”there is no cause for all the hues and cries over what happened on Thursday. I can tell you that within the next 10 days, the oath of office will be administered on the state chairmen.

“The truth is that they will take their oaths of office before the convention.

“We delayed the exercise due to the challenges we have in Kano, Sokoto and Enugu states, and I can assure our party members in the affected states and all our state chairmen that we shall resolve the differences and conduct the oath-taking before the convention.

”The newly elected State chairmen will be sworn in before convention and they will lead their state’s delegates to the convention in Abuja come February 26.

“The caretaker committee is committed to the convention and we want to ensure that the exercise is hitch-free. Quote me, the state chairmen will be sworn in or if you like inaugurated before the convention.”

Asked to be specific on the date, the CECPC member said, “reconciliation is not a tea party. A lot of considerations, bargaining and negotiations will have to come to play and all these take time. All I know is that the swearing-in of the state chairmen will hold before the convention.” (The Nation)

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