Unless the All Progressives Congress (APC) takes early steps to resolve the escalating crisis in its Bayelsa and Kogi States branches, it might be risking a repeat of the setbacks it suffered in Zamfara and River States in the last general election, THISDAY learnt at the weekend.

The party had lost out in the National Assembly, governorship and state assembly contests held earlier in the year in Zamfara and Rivers states due to intractable differences among its members, which ended up in multiple court litigations.

In the end, the Supreme Court annulled the party’s primaries in both states, resulting in victories for the candidates of their main contender, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to sources, the crisis in the party’s branches in Bayelsa and Kogi has made it difficult to agree on a schedule of primaries for the governorship election in the two states already slated for November 16 by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC had announced the date on May 16 with a request that all political parties intending to participate in the contest should file their schedule of activities.

According to the amended INEC timetable and schedule of activities for the governorship election, the primaries of the parties are expected to hold between August 18 and September 5, in accordance with section 30 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.

In compliance with the INEC’s directive, the PDP in a letter dated May 21, gave notice to INEC of its timetable.

The party said it would conduct its ward congresses in the two states on August 22, the local government congresses on August 26 and the nomination of their candidates on September 3.

According to an INEC source, “the PDP is organised and ready but the ruling party (APC) members are busy fighting among themselves. We have not heard anything from the party but we are watching. Any name submitted without undergoing credible primaries will end up with the Zamfara scenario for which they are abusing INEC.”

•Excerpted from a THISDAY report.

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