POLITICS: APC CRISIS: Tinubu’s Loyalists In Court, Seek Buni’s Sack, Ward, LG Congresses’ Nullification

September 6, 2021

The crises trailing the ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) worsened at the weekend, as loyalists of a national leader of the party, Chief Bola Tinubu sought the nullification of the entire exercise by a Federal High Court sitting in Ekiti State.

They also sought the sacking of Yobe State governor and Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Mai Mala Buni.

This is coming amid frantic moves by Buni, on Sunday, to calm frayed nerves in the party, following the fresh round of anger triggered by last Saturday’s local government congress across the country.

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The governor assured aggrieved chieftains of the party, not comfortable with the outcome of congress, of amicable resolutions of the crises exacerbated by the conduct of parallel congresses in some state chapters.

The governor, in a statement by his director general, Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, said the party had instituted internal mechanisms to address differences and grievances arising from the congress.

He promised that the party would be transparent, just and fair to anybody or group of persons with complaints that are forwarded to the party.

He said: “The doors of reconciliation are always open in the party to build a strong and united APC. We should therefore explore and exploit the opportunities available to settle all differences.

“I am highly elated that we are progressing at every stage of the congress, l am optimistic that the party will at the end of the congresses produce a generally acceptable and credible leadership that will build on the successes recorded for a strong, united and a winning APC.”

Tinubu’s loyalists seek court declaration of all activities of Buni illegal, unconstitutional

Aggrieved APC members, loyal to Tinubu, approached the Federal High Court to declare as illegal and unconstitutional, all actions taken under Buni as the chairman of the party.

In the suit marked FHC/AD/CS/21/2021 filed at the Ado-Ekiti division of the court, the members, under the auspices of the South-West Agenda for Asiwaju 2023 (SWAGA), sought an injunction declaring the outcomes of the July 31 ward congress and the September 4 local government congress unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

The suit deposed to by 36 SWAGA members and contestants in the ward congress on behalf of over 3,650 members of the group in Ekiti, was filed by their Lawyers, Barrister Ayodeji Odu and five others for the plaintiffs.

Joined in the suit are, APC (1st defendant); Chairman, Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni (2nd defendant); Ekiti APC chairman, Paul Omotoso (3rd defendant), Chairman, Ekiti Congress Screening Committee, Samuel Abejide (4th defendant) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (5th defendant).

They also prayed the court, “a declaration that no congress was held in Ekiti-State chapter of the 1st defendant as no result has been declared in respect of the congress as at the date of filling this case.

“A declaration that the 2nd defendant cannot hold the position of Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Committee of the 1st defendant as such appointment/role is a constitutional violation of section 187 of the 1999 Constitution as amended and article 8 of the 1st defendant’s constitution.

“A declaration that all actions or steps taken by the 1st defendant under the control, supervision, direction of the so called caretaker Extraordinary convention planning committee of APC, headed by the 2nd defendant, including the conduct of ward congresses across Nigeria and Ekiti State on 31st July, 2021 was illegal and unconstitutional on the ground that the 2nd defendant under whose such steps or actions were taken was ineligible to superintend over1st defendant party affairs while still serving in office as a governor.”

The plaintiffs also sought an injunction restraining the 1st and 3rd defendants from conducting any further congresses in Ekiti State pending the determination of the substantive matter.

The chairman of SWAGA in Ekiti, Senator Tony Adeniyi, said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and APC had been duly served, while also accusing Governor Buni, Paul Omotoso and Samuel Abejide of evading service.

But the Secretary of Congress Committee in Ekiti, Femi Akindele, said whoever approached the court without exhausting internal mechanism to seek redress would be doing that in flagrant violation of the party’s constitution and guidelines.

Lalong consolidates grip on Plateau APC structures.

Governor Simon Lalong was able to consolidate his grip on the Plateau State chapter of the APC going by the results of the local government congress as the winners emerged through consensus in all the 17 local government areas of the state.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune, the secretary of the caretaker committee, Alhaji Bashir Sati Musa said the congress was hitch-free across all the local council areas.

Akintola, Dare, Folarin, Agbaje, Akinosun, Tegbe declare congress fair to all interests

Stakeholders in the Oyo State APC, including Chief Niyi Akintola (SAN), Sunday Dare, Akeem Agbaje, Teslim Folarin, Joseph Tegbe, Fola Akinosun described the local government congress, held in the state, as fair to the various interests in the party.

They individually described the process as democratic, peaceful, transparent and all-inclusive.

They described parallel congress held in some local government areas as the evidence of the party giving members the opportunity to ventilate their democratic right but noted that all interests were bound to be harmonized.

According to them, the party members were resolved to promote the party interest above personal interest and that the process was fair to ensure that all members unite to support which ever candidate(s) emerge for the 2023 general election.

Speaking, Akintola described the congress as free and fair.

He attributed the parallel congress recorded in some local government areas to those members who failed to heed to the directive of the local government congress committee on designated locations for the congress.

On his part, Minister for Youths and Sports, Sunday Dare remarked that the APC members showed the spirit of true progressives in the local government congress.

The party’s interest, he added, was put above personal interest for the sake of progress.

Dr Fola Akinosun said the party was keen on conflict management and would harmonise all groups together.

This time, he said, the party was committed to no imposition, impunity, cheating, adding that the turnout at the congress was evidence of the popularity of the party across the state.

Another stakeholder, Barrister Akeem Agbaje said the party was focused on unity on the party, adding that he was committed to working with persons that emerge from the congresses.

In his own assessment of Saturday’s exercise, Senator Teslim Folarin urged the new party officials to immediately settle down and face the task of uniting existing members and expanding the membership base ahead of the 2023 general election.

He lauded members for the peaceful conduct of the congress, declaring that the exercise was democratic and all-inclusive.

For those that might have grievances, Folarin assured them that in the spirit of reconciliation and harmony, their concerns will be addressed through the party’s internal mechanisms.

Speaking in the same vein, Mr Joseph Tegbe held that the conduct of the exercise had shown APC as a democratic party.

He noted that executives emerged through consensus option being the choice of majority of the leaders and members of the party in the local government.

He urged party members to embrace brotherliness and unity, while urging the winners to be magnanimous in victory.

Also, Public Relations Officer, Oyo APC, Dr Azeez Olatunde said the party was poised to avoid a repeat of the 2018 congress where the party suffered the consequences in the 2019 election by overseeing a transparent process, this time.

Babalola emerges Ibadan South-West APC chairman

Honourable Sunday Babalola has emerged as the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State, by defeating 12 other contestants in the local government congress of the party.

The congress had all the party’s stakeholders in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area in attendance, including the immediate past party chairman, Prince Aderemi Oni and the 12 other contestants.

Lagos APC stakeholders in claims, counter-claims

Of the four identified factions within the Lagos state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), only the Tunde Balogun-led caretaker committee and the Lagos4Lagos Movement of the party held parallel local government Congresses across the 245 wards of the 20 local government areas of the state.

In the congress, a total of 27 local government party officials and three national delegates were elected for each of the 20 local government areas of the State.

While the Vice-chairman, Apex Committee of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, Prince Sunday Ajayi, reeled out names of 27 local council party executives and three other delegates that emerged as national delegates in Agege Local Government which include Dr Kayode Opeifa, Sunday Ajayi and Afolabi Rasheed, spokesman of the mainstream APC in the state, Honourable Seye Oladejo, differed saying any other congress held was not of the APC.

Lead visioner, Lagos4Lagos, Olajide Adediran, said names of delegates that emerged were ready to be sent to the national body for the next line of action.

In his own comment on the list of delegates for the Lagos APC, Oladejo said: “I cannot give you that information now but as far as we are concerned, the exercise went well. The national caretaker committee setup local government congress committee that related with the party. They came to Acme and also worked with security agencies. So, if Lagos4Lagos claimed they held a parallel congress, they only elected their LG officers across the state and not for Lagos APC; it’s as simple as that.”

Bauchi Congress not held in two LGAs

In Bauchi State, the consensus was adopted for the congresses in 18 out the 20 LGAs of the state, due to lack of updated members register.

Chairman of the congress committee, Jibrin Samuel had earlier advised the party members to adopt the consensus in choosing the new LGA executives in order to reduce tension and prevent infiltration by PDP.

While reacting to the conduct of the LGA Congress, one of chairmanship aspirants of the party, Abdulmumuni Mohammed Kundak said: “What we did on Saturday was to go by the popular demand of the members of the APC in Bauchi State. We agreed on the consensus based on the directive of the national Secretariat and we are all happy with the outcome.”

Okorocha, Araraume boycott Imo congress

The Imo State Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC, Prince Marcelinus Nlemigbo, described the congress held across the 27 LGAs of the state as a huge success.

The Nigerian Tribune correspondent, who monitored the exerccise in Owerri, noted that while some LGAs held consensus congress, others participated in the election by voting their choices.

It was also observed that two critical stakeholders and staunch members of APC in the state, including a former governor of Imo, and serving Senator Rochas Okorocha and one-time governorship aspirant, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume, and their supporters, pulled out of the congress.

Protests persist in Bayelsa

A chieftain of the APC in Bayelsa State, Honourable. Sunday Frank-Oputu, described as a shameful and an open contempt of court by the members of the party loyal to the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, who conducted the ward and local government congresses despite a subsisting court order at the state High Court and the Court of Appeal in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

According to Frank-Oputu, the conduct of the ward and local government congress was a clear affront to the rule of law and disrespect to the order of the court, dissociating the loyal party members from the actions of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva and the suspended caretaker secretary of the Party in the state.

Frank-Oputu, who is a chieftain of the APC in Southern Ijaw Local Government Council loyal to a faction led by Honourable Ebierien Itubor Fala, called on the party leadership to sanction the minister and the caretaker State Secretary of the Party, Alabo Martins, over the conduct of the congresses against subsisting Court order.