Omololu Ogunmade, Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja and Amby Uneze in Owerri
Following the inauguration of the newly
elected state chairmen as well as that of the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT) chapter by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
on Monday, it has emerged that some of the key actors in the nationwide
congresses have lost out in their bid to control the party structures in
their respective states.
In Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe lost
his bid to stop the recognition of Ojukaye Amachree who belonged to the
group loyal to the Transportation Minister Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi as
the new state chairman.
A similar fate befell the Minister of
Communications, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, whose effort to wrest the party
structure in Oyo State from the incumbent governor, Abiola Ajimobi, hit
the rocks, as the candidate who emerged from the pro-Ajimobi state
congress, Chief Akin Oke, was the one sworn in as new the APC chairman
in the state.
Added to the frustration, Shittu was said to have been prevented from entering the venue of the inauguration on Monday.
His faction Tuesday announced that it was leaving the party to another one where their interests will be protected.
It was also an extension of his woes and
nightmare for the embattled governor of Imo State Rochas Okorocha, who
made spirited efforts to get the state congress results annulled, but
could not convince the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to do
so.
Accordingly, it was the candidate of the ‘Imo Restoration Coalition’ Hillary Eke who triumphed.
Reacting to the swearing-in of Eke,
Okorocha declared Tuesday that he would not rest until he sees the
National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the National
Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, and others imprisoned for
dragging the party backwards.
In Kwara, the Minister of Information
and Culture, Lai Mohammed, attempted to test his popularity against
Senate President Bukola Saraki, who has a firm grip on the party
structures in his state.
However, the APC recognised Ishola
Balogun Fulani as chairman. Fulani was elected chairman by the main
faction of the party loyal to Saraki, while Moshood Bolarinwa, who was
elected chairman by the Kwara APC faction loyal to Mohammed, was
ignored.
The party also dumped Fouad Oki who was
the chairman elected by a faction of the APC in Lagos and instead swore
in Tunde Balogun, who was elected chairman by the main faction loyal to
the National Leader of the APC, Chief Bola Tinubu.
The tussle for the control of the Enugu
State chapter of the APC ended in favour of the group loyal to the
Director General of the Voice of Nigeria Osita Okechukwu and the
National Vice-Chairman (South-east) Emeka Eneukwu.
Ben Nwoye, who emerged from one of the parallel congresses backed by Okechukwu and Eneukwu, was confirmed by the party.
The NWC had in the wake of controversies
over the conduct of parallel congresses by aggrieved groups issued a
statement saying that it would not recognise any congress not conducted
by its congress committees.
In the statement issued by the National
Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said
there was no such thing as parallel congresses.
“The only congress recognised by the
party is that conducted in accordance with the party constitution, which
was organised by the congress committee charged by the party to
organise such congresses.
“We therefore regard any so-called
parallel congresses as an exercise in futility and attempt to cause
confusion in the party,” APC had said.
In Kano, Abdullahi Abass, the candidate loyal to the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, was also sworn in as the state chairman.
Among the newly sworn in state chairmen
are Hon. Donatus E. Nwankpa (Abia), Alhaji Ibrahim Bilal (Adamawa), Hon.
Ini Okopido (Akwa Ibom), Emeka Ibe (Anambra), Alhaji Uba Ahmed Nana
(Bauchi), Jonathan L. Amos (Bayelsa), Comrade Abba Yari (Benue), Hon.
Ali Bukar Dalori (Borno), Hon. Godwin Etim John (Cross River), Chief
Cyril Abeye Ogodo (Delta), Pastor Eze Nwachukwu Eze (Ebonyi), Anslem U.
Ojezua (Edo) and Nitte K. Amangal (Gombe),
Others include Hon. Ado Sani Kiri
(Jigawa), Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekeda (rtd.) (Kaduna), Shittu S.
Shittu (Katsina), Bala Sani Kangiwa (Kebbi), Abdullahi Bello (Kogi),
Alhaji Tunde Balogun (Lagos), Philip Tatari Shekwo (Nasarawa), Muhammed
Liman (Niger), Dikia Adebisi (Ogun), Ade Adetimehin (Ondo), Chief Akin
Oke (Oyo), Hon. Letep M. Dabang (Plateau), Hon. Isa S. Achida (Sokoto),
Alhaji Adamu Chilariye (Yobe), Alhaji Lawal M. Liman (Zamfara), Alhaji.
Abdulmumini Vaki (Taraba) and Hon. Abdulmalik Usman (FCT).
Congresses did not hold in Ekiti and Osun States.
Okorocha Continues Rant
However, in reaction to the recognition
of the rival faction of the party by the national executive of the APC,
despite separate court injunctions ordering all parties to the suits to
maintain the status quo, Okorocha said Tuesday that he would leave no
stone unturned until he sees Oyegun, Izunaso and others imprisoned for
dragging the party backwards.
He said with the manner Oyegun had
piloted the affairs of the party, it was obvious that its leaders must
have over-rated his capacity by allowing him to succeed Chief Bisi
Akande as the national chairman of the party.
According to the Imo governor, Oyegun
had taken the party backwards such that there is no state where party
does not have crisis or faction.
“Again, the way Chief Oyegun pursued the
issue of tenure elongation also showed how selfish and greedy he is. He
is not interested in the well-being or future of the party, but only
interested in staying put as the national chairman of the party. That is
why he is after anybody who opposed the tenure elongation.
“The worst thing that would have
happened to APC is to have allowed Chief Oyegun to continue as the
national chairman of the party. It would have been worse for the party.
“Chief Akande never tried to destroy the
party because he was leaving as the pioneer chairman. But Oyegun wants
to destroy the party because he is leaving. He is not patriotic,”
Okorocha declared.
He further stated that in the case of
Imo State, Oyegun disobeyed two court orders with regard to the
congresses in the state, adding that the inauguration of “strange
elements” as the state officials of the party was done to get at him
because he (Okorocha) fought against the tenure elongation.
According to the Imo governor, “We have
no option now than to ask our lawyers to press for his imprisonment and
that of Osita Izunaso and all those who were involved in the
lawlessness.”
The governor said the only thing Oyegun
achieved in the party was to anger him (Okorocha) by encouraging people
like Osita Okechukwu (VON DG) and those from Imo State to insult him,
noting: “These are people who cannot win their booths in an election.”
Speaking in the third party, Okorocha
added: “The same elements came together during the Anambra State
governorship election. The governor (Okorocha) stayed away and at the
end of the day, they could not justify their noise making.
“They have started again. And these are people who have been contesting elections since 2007 and have not won any.
“Chief Oyegun was also quoted to have
said in an interview that the South-east or Imo APC stakeholders are
united against Governor Okorocha. Let them hold a South-east or Imo
rally at a venue and let Rochas hold his own at another location and
let’s see the outcome.
“In case Chief Oyegun does not know, Imo
APC members won’t allow any faction. The APC in Imo and even in the
South-east is Governor Okorocha’s making. And it will be foolish for
anybody to think that he would build the party and allow cowards to take
it over.
“If they have the political strength, let them go and pick a party and present a candidate, it will be very interesting.”
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