The All Progressives Congress (APC) has inaugurated five-member committees to conduct state congresses in different states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday.

Three-member committees were also inaugurated to entertain appeals that may arise from the State Congresses.

Some state congress chairmen are H.E. Pius Odubu (Adamawa); Gen. Danjuma Danbazzau (Taraba); Prince Austin Eweka (Kano); Senator Domingo Obende (Niger); Senator Jonathan Zwingina (Abia); Senator Olugbenga Obadara (Delta); Senator Uche Ekwunife (Lagos); Mathew Omegara (Ondo); H.E. Peter Obadan (Ogun); H.E. Abdullahi Gwarzo (Oyo) among others.

The appeal committees have among others H.E. Chris Akoma as chairman of Ebonyi State; Gbenga Elegbeleye (Rivers); Bashir Lado (Ogun); Abubakar Maikudi (Bauchi); Ambassador Jerry Ugog (Kano); and Kogolo Peter (Imo).

APC National Organising Secretary Senator Osita Izunaso, who inaugurated the committees on behalf of the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, told the committees members the congresses must be conducted in strict conformity with the official APC Guidelines for State Congresses.

Izunaso said the committees were expected to hold meetings with stakeholders in the respective states on Friday before Saturday’s nationwide congresses to elect state executive committee, which includes the official 17-member State Working Committees.

The organising secretary urged the committees to ensure a free, fair, democratic and transparent process. He also warned against unilateral postponement of state congresses without approval by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

Izunaso: “Don’t deny anybody who has a payment teller a form. It is undemocratic… You don’t have the power to postpone the election. If you go to a state and you find out that it is impossible to conduct the election, you inform the NWC for approval. The National Convention is close by. We want to conclude these processes as quickly as possible.”

For the Appeal Committees, Izunaso said every petition from individuals who contested elections must be entertained. He cautioned the appeal committees to gauge the security situation in their respective state in deciding where to hold appeal sittings.

He said the NWC has the final decision on appeals.

“If the place is volatile for the Appeal Committee, and they cannot sit there, you can sit in Abuja,” Izunaso said.

Protesters demand APC National Organising Secretary’s sack

•’Allegations are false’

Some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday stormed the party’s national secretariat and demanded the sack of the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso.

They accused him of manipulating the recent ward and local government congresses in states.

The group, under the auspices of Democratic Youth Congress for Buhari 2019, arrived at the APC secretariat in two luxury buses, carrying placards with inscriptions “Sen. Osita must go”.

The protesters, who were led by a serving House of Assembly lawmaker from Nasarawa State, Kassim Muhammad Kassim, accused Osita of indirectly working for opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to frustrate re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019.

In a complaint letter addressed to the APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, dated May 17, the protesters called for a fresh ward congress in Imo State and some other states where there are issues to be settled.

The letter, which was presented to the party leadership, was copied to the President, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Commissioner and the FCT Director of Directorate of State Services (DSS).

It, however, took the stiff resistance of the police and other security agents at the APC headquarter to prevent the protesters from gaining entrance into the premises.

But responding on behalf of Izunaso, former Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Ibejiako Ernest, dismissed the allegations, saying the protesters should not be taken seriously.

Ernest, who also served at the Federal House of Representatives, said: “I can tell you that all the allegations are false. Senator Izunaso has conducted himself decently since he became the National Organising Secretary of our party, the APC. As a good son of Imo State, he has done his best for the party.”

Text (excluding headline) sourced from The Nation

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