More troubles for APC as Buhari endorses February 2022 for National Congress

By Olusesan Laoye

The All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to still have fire on its mountain, despite all efforts being made to put the house in order, for the past two years that it has been bewildered with one crisis or the other, since the abrupt dissolution of the party’s executive, led by Comrade Adam’s Oshiomhole, which some members of the party are not still being happy about.

Since Oshiomhole was sort of humiliated out of office, which some elements of the party thought would solve the problems confronting it, the party has not actually gone out of the woods but jumping from one crisis to the other.

It took the party a tedious time to eventually put a caretaker Committee, led by the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni together, to stair the affairs of the party, through the executive fiat of President Muhamadu Buhari.

Despite that, the party and the committee have been facing serious and series of problems, that has made it difficult for the party to come to terms, as to how to move forward.

The recent Wards, Local governments and State congresses, ended in fiascos, with parallel congresses all over the states, which led to litigations, here and there and yet to be resolved.

As a matter of fact, the congresses are yet to be conclusive in some states, a situation that led to the postponement of the National Congress.

The Buni led committee which has been subject of attacks and disputes in the party, found it difficult to pick a date for the convention, as some powerful people in the party who were aggrieved about his style of administration and the recent congresses made it difficult.

And the fear was that should the party go to a convention with the crises at hand, there would be problems which could lead to the disintegration of the party

To avert this situation, Buni’s colleagues, under the aegis of the Progressive governors had to meet and proposed that the National Congress of the party be shifted until all the hindrances and obstacles be removed.

It was their proposal, which the President eventually endorsed that the Congress be held next February 22, with no specific date picked and is till due to consultations of other stakeholders.

As it was even speculated by some of the members of the party, the Presidency’s February next year could still be tentative because the party still, has many issues to resolve, which must be satisfactory to all, in order not to go to a Congress that would be contested legally, which could also eventually lead to nullity.

The Chairman of the Progressives governors forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu said after meeting President Buhari that it was their earlier proposal on the Congress, that the president endorsed but argued that the governors took cognisance of the fact that all issues especially on the inconclusive state congresses were put into consideration, before agreeing on shifting the date of the National congress.

Also Buni affirmed that all problems arising from the earlier congresses especially, states where there were disputes have to be settled before the National convention. Also, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, the CENCPC’s National Secretary, had said that the APC has to tidy up some knotty issue before the convention.

Some of the issues according g to him are membership registration and revalidation in some States which are yet to be done, up till now. He pointed out that the constitution of the party ” is so clear that could make Some people go to court and claim they were left out if we convene our conference and even if only a state is left out.”

The secretary of the convention committee further argued that there was no way you can exclude one state and say it is a valid convention. “There are a lot of things we need to tidy up before the convention”

On the issue parallel congresses which had now led to litigations in 13 states Akpanudoedehe said there was nothing like parallel congress in the party, saying that Article 18 of the constitution, as well as articles 19 and 20, permit the party to have congresses; which he stressed was the position of the party.

According to him committees were set up to go to states to conduct congresses, anything outside this, and out come of the report of the committee to the party, is nulity, which means those aggrieved and now in court are on there on.

But political analysts have said that the arguement of Akpanudoedehe may not hold, because the issues at stake and the personalities involved would not make things easy or to be waved aside, because from the the look of things, the APC is till not yet settled and anything could happen, even with president Buhari’s endorsement of the February 2022 for the National convention.

Analysts further argued that the party still needs to mend some fences before it could move forward.

Despite the President’s endorsement, some powerful people and groups are still adamant especially warning, factions in Rivers, Ekiti, Ogun, Oyo, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos, Delta, Osun, Kano, Abia, Zamfara, and Kwara states still believed in their paraell executives and have continued to fight for supremacy.

Since, President Buhari had spoken there had been reactions from aggrieved factions.

In Akwa Ibom State, Group Captain Sam Ewang (rtd) said that the APC crisis in the State must be resolved or the party goes into total extinction.

The same was expressed by John Egboti, factional chairman of the party in Cross Rivers.

Also in Kano the State, former Governor Shekarau’s factional chairman Aljaji Adamu promised that they would not back down

Lani Baderinwa, the secretary of the APC faction in Osun State backed by Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola, said the group had filed a legal action concerning the party’s last local government congress.

He claimed that their has not compromised their stand and not in any negotiations the group backed by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

He said that the case about the congress at the Federal High Court in Osogbo will proceed.

Mr Seun Soyinka, a spokesperson for the Lagos4Lagos Movement, contended what remains now is the law court to settle all disputes s should the national body of the party failed to address various disputes both in Lagos and other parts of Nigeria.

Meanwhile former governorship aspirant in Kogi State Moustapha Audu led a group of youths tagged North West Movement, in a town hall meeting in Kaduna recently to pass vote of no confidence in Buni’s caretaker executive describing it as illegal.

Also a Leader of the party in Zamfara State who has ways been critical of Buni’s executive, reiterated his stand that the CECPC Buni, led, is illegal and any action carried out by it, remains illegal

But the leader of the APC Rebirth Group, of the stakeholders, Engineer Aliyu Audu, had said that in as much as people are free to say their minds, all actions or demand must be carried out according to the laws guiding the party.

He however commended Buni for the good jobs the committee has so far rendered.

However, some people in the APC believed that the ghost of the removal of Adam Oshiomhole is till hunting the party and the leaders must go out to appease him, if they want things to go well in the party.