APC Convention: Concerned Stakehokders frowns against concensus candidacy

*says party deviated from original goals of founding fathers

Tom Okpe, Abuja

A group in the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Concerned Stakeholders has frowned at the party concensus candidacy in the juat concluded Ward and Local Goverments Congresses, describing it as imposition of candidates, which should not be taken to the forthcoming state congress and the nationational convention.

The group, mostly youths at a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday, its convener, Abubakar Usman Sidiq lamented that the party has deviated from the goals of its founding fathers.

At the conference were other members, including, Elemo Damilola, Ayobami Oyalowo, Rahamat Abdullahi, Aliyu Audu Adagu, Senbanjo Ikeoluwa and Rahamatulai Goldfish.

Usman Sidiq said they have come to draw the attention of members and supporters of the APC, both within and outside the country on the urgent need to reverse the eminent descent of the party into possible extinction.
“We take courageous step of admitting that the APC has deviated from the ideal political party, our founding fathers envisioned during its formation in 2013.

“Having succeeded in winning the elections and enthroning the government in 2015 to birth the radical change that was in urgent need in the country, the onerous task of managing the party as a true and progressive political party began to hit brick walls as early as the party came into power.

“Much more than not, the APC has functioned as an association run and operated in accordance with the wishes and aspirations of whichever group that is dominant at any particular period.

“If the APC is headed in the wrong direction today, it is because we laid the foundation and nurtured it towards that trajectory many years ago.

“We cannot continue in this manner, and we believe it is time for the APC to rebirth and reinvent itself as a true, progressive and reform-minded political party that is constantly evolving in accordance with its philosophical objectives and the yearnings of majority of its members.”

The group asked APC leadership to learn from mistakes of the past where some political parties attempted, micro-manage their affairs, leading to implosion saying; “As part of activities leading to our National Convention, we have held Ward and Local Government Congresses in a very undemocratic way, clearly imposing leadership on members at the grassroots in the guise of ‘consensus’ candidate, which is totally unacceptable.

“While we acknowledge that consensus is one of our party’s Constitutional provisions, it is an irrefutable fact that the APC Constitution did not envisage a situation where certain individuals, whether governors, former governors or party leaders would coerce members into accepting a premeditated outcome as a mutually agreed option.

“A forced outcome is never a consensus, because any procedure that does not uphold the freedom of choice of individuals cannot be said to embody the progressive politics that APC ought to represent.

We may have missed the opportunity to right these wrongs at the two levels where congresses already held, but the forthcoming national convention presents a perfect opportunity that we must take advantage of.

“Consequently, these Concerned Stakeholders demand that open contestation must be the only option for every position in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, rather than the imposition of anointed candidates in the name of consensus as was the case with the party’s recent Wards and Local Government congresses.

“We demand that the leaders that will emerge from the forthcoming National Convention must be those who do not only have what it takes to give a new life to the party in the interest of all members, they must be people with unquestionable characters and proven records of progressiveness.

“We equally charge the party’s Caretaker, Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) with ensuring that the National Convention’s date, guidelines, and other arrangements are made public prior to the state Congress slated for October 16th, 2021.

“This will not only dispel the widely held belief that the Buni-led committee is playing out a script with its continuous stay in office, it will ensure proper and adequate planning for the convention,” Usman Sidiq stated.

Meanwhile, the party reacting through its National CECPC, Secretary John James Akpanudoedehe at the party Secretariat urge the stakeholders to stop playing to the gallery, advising them to work with party leaders to achieve their desired objectives.

According to the Secretary, “people have aspirations and if they fail or not met, they are bound to form associations.

“We will always look for credible candidates to win. People must make themselves to love the party. What people should be talking about is the performance of the party in giving dividend to Nigerians. It is their right to vent anger but consensus allows cohesion and cohesiveness.

“We followed the Constitution of the party to conduct the process. The report before us don’t give impression that the processes were flawed. People should stop playing to the gallery.

“We set up appeal panels and I am not sure they explored the channel for redress. Even when they go, they can’t prove their case.”

The national secretary also dismissed claim that party faithful were not being carried along.

“We will continue to mend fences. I won’t say people are being carried along hundred percent but I can say the party is owned by the people now, not by power blocs or minority.

“They must trust the chairman of having the elasticity to accomodate everybody and bringing everybody together.

“This Caretaker Committee can say since inception, we have never had it so good as a party. We have stabilized the party and brought more people,” he said.