The harmony in the All Progressives Congress (APC) is currently being threatened, if recent development in the party is anything to go by.
The party is said to be experiencing internal wrangling in some states, most especially Lagos and Rivers states, even as the development was reported to have culminated in the factionalisation of the party in Lagos.
Sunday Tribune had reported last Sunday that there were internal struggles for the control of the party at the national level. But the interim National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had denied any knowledge of such development.
Though it could not be ascertained if the factionalisation in the Lagos State chapter of the party had to do with the reported ongoing internal struggle at the national level, Mohammed, in a statement from London, at the weekend, confirmed the separatist agenda of some elements, but wanted them ignored, particularly the factional chairman, Chief Ajibade Emiabata.
This is just as wide gulf appeared to have surfaced in the party in Rivers State, as some members of the party took to the streets of Port Harcourt, on Saturday, to protest alleged marginalisation by the leadership of the party.
Among the protesters were several members of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the three political parties that came together to form the APC.
Speaking on the essence of the protest, leader of the protesters and former ACN chairman in the state, Mr Mmuen Kpagane, said it was staged to bring to the attention of the governor, the level of discrimination members of ‘the Legacy Party’ were being subjected to by the APC leadership in the state.
He called on the governor to effect a change in the present arrangement within the party, which, according to him, disqualified members of ‘the Legacy arty’ from being elected into positions within APC at the local government and state levels.
While responding to the reported factionalisation of the party in Lagos State, the party also denied postponing its nationwide congress, which held yesterday, though states like Osun, suspended the conduct of the exercise.
“We urge our members to ignore the wild rumours on the postponement of the congress, which is another attempt by the enemies of democracy to sabotage the party’s monumental progress,” the party said.
On the Lagos APC faction, the party asked members to disown Emiabata, who is said to be parading himself as APC chairman, saying that since the process that would culminate in the election of the party’s leaders at the various levels had just begun yesterday with the ward congress, no one could claim to have been elected a leader at any level.
“In any case, the state congress is not due to be held until April 23rd, after which our elected state officials will emerge. How then can anyone claim to be the chairman of our party in Lagos? This is absurd and clearly orchestrated,” the party said.
But Emiabata is sticking to his guns that he remained the party’s new chairman in Lagos.
Addressing the media at the new faction’s Ade-Onitimirin Street, Surulere, Lagos Secretariat last Wednesday, Emiabata had said the merger that led to the emergence of APC had not seen a comforting integration of all the legacy parties.
He alleged his marginalisation and that of two chairmen of two other political parties—All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and All Progressive Grand Alliance (ANPP) that make up the mega party.
Emiabata, who was of the defunct CPC, said the alleged marginalisation became intolerable at the Stakeholders’ Forum held at the party’s secretariat on Acme Road, Ikeja, last Wednesday, accusing certain elements of conducting the Stakeholders’ Forum as if the party was only all about the defunct ACN.
Though he called for the boycott of the congresses and conventions, it could not be ascertained if the members of the merged parties participated in yesterday’s congress.
“I hereby direct all leaders, officers and members of the defunct CPC in APC to submit themselves only to my authority as the chairman of APC in Lagos, and affirm the total dissociation of Lagos APC from Chief Oladele Ajomale’s unilaterally-organised ward congresses for Saturday 5th of April 2014 across 376 wards of Lagos State”, he declared.
Emiabata said all other states, except Lagos, had promptly constituted and inaugurated the State Harmonisation Committees, accusing Chief Niyi Adebayo, who was to lead the constitution and inauguration of the committee in the state, of conspiring with the leadership of defunct ACN in the state not to inaugurate the committee.
“The party-structure of the defunct ACN, led by Ajomale, not only reconvened in the name of APC but operates solely and takes decisions independently of the other legacy parties, especially the defunct CPC, on behalf of APC in Lagos State.
“This unfortunate incident nearly marred the party membership registration exercise but the state leadership of the CPC calmed the storm in order to ensure the success of the merger that produced APC with passion.
The factional leader finally called on all party members to remain calm, steadfast, and continue with their normal party business and to await further directives and developments from him.
Meanwhile, the ward congress by the Lagos State chapter of the party to elect its substantive officers into various wards in the state went on smoothly on Saturday in most of the lcoal governments, with pandemonium said to have greeted the exercise at Ward E in Ifako-Ijaiye as party faithful engaged in a free for all, which led to the inability to declare a winner several hours after the conclusion of the exercise.
The crisis reportedly started as a result of some party members’ discomfort with the attitude of the coordinator of the exercise in the ward.
Though normalcy was restored temporarily, troubles reportedly resurfaced when the votes were to be counted, as some members insisted the election had been rigged and called for its cancellation.
Sunday Tribune’s visit to some wards in the state showed that the exercise was held under a peaceful atmosphere with no untoward action emanating from any of them, just as the spokesman of the party in the state, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, told Sunday Tribune that the exercise took place in 377 wards across the state.
According to him, the exercise was held under a peaceful atmosphere as no problem was reported to him from any of the wards, pointing out that the party ensured that every arrangement was put in place to ensure its success throughout the state.
Sunday Tribune reports that the exercise went on peacefully at Ward F of Agbado-Oke-Odo Local Council Development Authority (LCDA).
Commenting on the congress, a political group within the APC, New Lagos Movement, in a statement signed by its president, Niyi Akinsiju stated that “The Ward Congresses of our party, All Progressives Congress, has come and gone with special thanks to the National Leader of our party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who democratically listened to the yearnings of our members for an all-inclusive process of selecting the leaders of the party at different levels in the various local governments of Lagos State.”
The group alleged that some “old politicians” who wanted their stooges installed across wards in the state sent thugs to disrupt the process in some local governments, saying: “In Mushin, the said elders sponsored some thugs to disrupt the congress but were prevented by the ever-vigilant members of our party. In Ifako-Ijaiye, they brought their retinue of thugs to cause commotion and did the same in some parts of Kosofe Local Government. We have it on record that in Coker-Aguda, their thugs were so vicious that the electoral process was put in jeopardy.
We must reiterate that such ignominious activities shall not be tolerated again.”
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