APC faults speculations over shift in convention date

• Stakeholders ask govs to sack PGF DG, threaten protest
• Sanwo-Olu tasks reconciliation committee on party’s unity

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has, again, faulted notions in certain quarters that its national convention scheduled for next month will no longer take place.

Caretaker Secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, in a chat with The Guardian, expressed surprise over misleading information on the conduct of the convention.

He said the recent position of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee on the conduct of the convention still stands.

“You are all looking for content to sell your papers. We speak what we mean. You are aware of our last communication with the public. We cannot tell you what we will not do,” he said.

THIS came as the Coalition of APC Support Groups reminded the Caretaker Committee to live up to its promise of conducting the convention next month.

Led by Jator Abido, the group argued that the call is aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Abido, who spoke during consultative visits to Delta, Edo, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Plateau and Bauchi States, charged a party faithful to diligently assess the personalities of those vying for the position of national chairman.

He expressed optimism that Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, who is vying for the chairmanship seat, will emerge victorious during the convention.

Also, a support group of the party, National Progressive Hub, appealed to the Caretaker Committee not to yield to calls for postponement of the convention.

MEANWHILE, some stakeholders have called on APC governors to sack Director General (DG) of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, with immediate effect.

The stakeholders, under the aegis of All Progressives Congress Youth Development and Solidarity Forum (APC-YDSF), said they were ready to stage a massive nationwide protest if Salihu continues as DG, PGF.

According to them, Lukman has proved he is an agent of a few selfish interests in the party and of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

Their call came on the heels of an open letter authored recently by the DG and sent to party leaders.

They spoke just as the party said it was set to deal with erring members working against its interest.

The group, in a statement signed by Secretary-General, Tobias Ogbeh, said what Lukman had done was to practically provide reference materials for “a contrived PDP win in the 2023 general elections.”

It said: “We find it most unfortunate that the DG decided to exploit the timing of our great party’s national convention to ply his poisonous ware by pretending to make a legitimate intervention.

“It is ironic that Lukman was unable to conceal the agenda he has for truncating the successes recorded by the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), which even he admitted has done a great job in stabilising APC.

“As our Forum struggles to come to terms with the reality that the man who administers the umbrella body of APC governors is a mole within the party and being used by some forces to destroy our organisation from inside, we find it pertinent to alert stakeholders to the dangers the DG’s continued occupation of that office poses to the success of APC in the months ahead.”

IN a related development, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, yesterday, urged the APC National Reconciliation Committee to deploy wisdom and patience to resolve differences and strengthen the party’s unity.

But in those differences, we should be able to sit together and iron our resolve.”

“This is encouraging and this kind of state of affairs does not just come by accident. It goes to show the extent to which his Excellency and his team have been able to manage the party’s affairs in the state; how they have been able to advance the interest of the very complex party membership in Lagos. We commend you, the people, particularly party members.”