Tom Okpe, Abuja
A Group in the All Progressives Congress, (APC) known as Concerned APC Stakeholders has called for the resignation of the party’s ruling body, the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, (CECPC) for failing to put the party at it’s rightful perspective.
The group noted that the Committee, led by Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni failed to actualize it’s mandate of fixing the party’s national convention, where national leaders, National Working Committee, (NWC) will be elected.
At a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, the group, led by Ayo Oyalowo told journalists that nothing good came from the Caretaker Committee, after almost thirty (30) months of inauguration.
Recall that the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole led NWC was dissolved in an emergency National Executive Committee, (NEC) meeting, held at the State House on the 25th June, 2020 with a mandate of six (6) months to fix a tentative date for the national convention.
According to the group, the Caretaker’s registration of members, Ward, Local Governments, State Congresses and primaries were failure saying; “the Committee, rather than managed the fallout of that unfortunate primary elections, busied itself pursing opposition party members to join the APC.
“But, even with almost all the opposition party members emptying into the APC, the party still had the worse outing in the election.
Indeed, only politicians living in the yesteryears still believe that the influx of opposition party members to a party is all that was needed to win elections.
“While it is sad that the APC came a dismal third in an election it had every chance of winning, it would have been a magic if the party had performed better than it did, especially considering that the candidate of the party, Senator Andy Uba emerged through a process that was completely strange to the ideals of the APC.
“Little wonder that almost all the aspirants of the party in the primary election turned the other way after they had been denied the right to exercise their rights as full fledged members in a free and fair contest. To make matters worse, the Caretaker
“There is no gain saying the glaring reality that lies ahead, if the Buni-led 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-led 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 in spite of the huge task ahead and the limited time at its disposal, it is left to be seen how much this piecemeal approach the Buni led 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 in building go down the drain as a result of the selfish actions of a few,” Oyalowo stated.
The group however, on these basis and others too numerous to mention, called for immediate resignation of the Buni led Committee.
“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-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee for their glaring failures in managing 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.
“In the same vein, we are calling on all concerned members of the party across the country, and particularly our leaders, to join hands and ensure that we elect a National Working Committee that will truly represent the interest and aspirations of genuine APC members.
“The party is in urgent need of an inclusive NWC that will look holistically at the issues bedeviling the party and resolve them once and for all.
“We also, call on all party members who have aspirations for any position in the forthcoming national convention to come out and declare their interests without fear of being denied the right to contest at the convention.
“We are more than determined to ensure that the upcoming convention would be an elective one, and that no set of people, no matter how powerful or highly placed, would impose leadership on the party in the name of consensus.
“It is on the back of this that the Concerned APC Stakeholders wholeheartedly throw its weight behind the direct primary option of electing candidates for political parties. For us in the APC, this singular action of the National Assembly which has also received the endorsement of the tripartite committee is a victory for internal party democracy, one that will return the party to the ordinary members who have toiled day and night for the success of the party and not a few privileged and selfish individuals.”
Oyalowo commended President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Ahmad Lawan; Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for their various and collective roles towards strengthening the APC as a party that will continue to deliver progressive governance for Nigeria.
“As we move towards the convention, we have absolute belief in these leaders that they would do right by ensuring that the right thing is done,” the group added.
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