Crisis hit APC ahead of Saturday’s states congress in Edo

• Doguwa kicks against Shekarau, others, declares loyalty to Ganduje
• Kano adopts consensus for state congress, returns former exco unopposed.
• Congress: Katsina APC to elect state executives by consensus

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and candidate for the APC Chairmanship position in Edo State, Chief Francis Inegbeneki on Thursday called on the Mai Mala Buni led leadership of the party to raise up to the occasion to intervene and stop the APC in Edo State from imminent political annihilation.

Addressing a press conference in Benin city, Inegbeneki said another crisis is brewing in the state following plans to impose a state executives in the forthcoming Edo APC State Congress.

Inegbeneki who dismissed the claims in some quarters that the party had adopted consensus arrangement said , he is still in the race for the party’s state chairmanship position come Saturday.

He maintained that the move by some unscrupulous leaders to adopt consensus was alien to the party’s constitution. Describing such move as undemocratic, Inegbeneki called on the All Progressives Congress Caretaker chairman , Mai Mala Buni to wade into the undemocratic decision to impose an incompetent state executives in Edo APC.

“There is rumour going around that I have stepped down or asked to step down. I am here to set the record straight and therefore, I wish to state emphatically that I am still in the race.

“It is true that there was a kangaroo meeting held few hours ago, where it was insinuated that the Edo APC state Congress will not hold as scheduled, but rather , a process that is alien to the ethos and principles of democracy will be adopted, whereby an incompetent state executives will be handpicked and imposed on the party.

“I, and the majority of our party members completely dissociate ourselves from that illegal meeting and it’s undemocratic decision, and as such, insist on a free and credible State Congress as stipulated by the Constitution of APC and the Congress guidelines released by the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC),”he said.

Inegbeneki appealed to the leadership of the party to urgently intervene and “stop our party in Edo State from imminent political annihilation.”

The Edo APC State Congress is scheduled for tomorrow Saturday October 16th with the two major contender for the State Chairmanship position to include, Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Edo chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Col David Imuse (rtd) and Chief Francis Inegbeneki.

Meanwhile, leader, House of Representatives Alhasan Ado Doguwa, has declared that members of National assembly from Kano are fully behind the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and party leadership in Kano.

Apparently surprised by the petition filed by former Kano state governor Ibrahim Shekarau, Senator Barau Jibrin and four members of the house of representative against Governor Ganduje ahead of Saturday state congress, Doguwa maintained the claims were false and unfolded.

A group of aggrieved lawmakers, under the auspices of Joint stakeholders Forum, led by senator Shekarau (Kano Central) and Senator Barau Jibril (Kano North), accused Ganduje and prince Abba Abdullahi of running the party without carrying critical party loyalists along.

They said they had been sidelined in the affairs of the party despite investing heavily to its success in the state, seeking urgent intervention of the national leadership of the party before the State congress.

They equally rejected the previous ward and local government congresses where consensus were adopted for the party leadership.

The Senator representing Kano South, Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya explained why he pulled out of the resolution of the aggrieved lawmakers. Gaya who was part of the Abuja meeting said his decision was born out of loyalty to Ganduje who facilitated his re-election.

Challenging the acclaims of the Shekarau-led group, Doguwa while addressing APC stakeholders’ meeting in Kano government house insisted there is no crisis in APC Kano.

Doguwa wondered why the aggrieved group would accuse Ganduje of running APC alone declared the governor had never ignored or disregard collective agreement of party leadership.

He urged the governor to take decisive measures against the accusations of the aggrieved group, describing the governor as “too patient and tolerant.” Doguwa said Ganduje’s tolerance was the main ingredient that tempted some members of the party to test his patience.

Hitting back at Shekarau and others, Ganduje who took turn to address the stakeholders accused the aggrieved lawmakers of failing in their legislative duty.

Ganduje said: “How can people who have failed to deliver good projects to your constituents now accused me of your travails. The money you are collecting in Abuja has not come down to your constituents, then you’re blaming me? You’re taking me as scapegoat to your problems”

Meanwhile, the APC stakeholders have agreed to return the caretaker chairman Prince Abdulahi Abbas and other state executive members unopposed for Saturday state congress election.

Ganduje, who reeled out the names of all the party candidates, declared that Kano has settled for consensus candidates for the congress after which the stakeholders conceded to the adoption through voice votes.

However, the All Progressives Congress in Katsina State on Thursday held a stakeholders’ meeting in Katsina ahead the party’s state congress slated for Saturday.

New party executives are to be elected for the state at the Congress and it will be by consensus.

Governor Aminu Masari led other party leaders to the meeting.

Those present at the meeting included Deputy Governor, Mannir Yakubu; the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Tasi’u Zango; Secretary to the State Government, Mustapha Inuwa; Chief of Staff, Alhaji Muntari Lawal; APC State outgoing Chairman, Shitu Shitu as well as the Senator representing Funtua Zone, Bello Mandiya.

Masari charged party members at the meeting to ensure a free, fair and transparent congress.
He also appealed for support and understanding of APC members to ensure a hitch-free congress.
The Governor explained that the party would be replicating the same strategy used during the previous Ward and Local Government congresses which were by consensus.

He told party members that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was impressed with the outcome of the previous congresses conducted in the state.

Masari further urged party members in the state to work with the national leadership of the party to ensure a successful state congress that could in turn produce credible leaders who will be acceptable to the majority of party members.

The chairman of APC Congress Local Organising Committee, Alhaji Muntari Lawal, had earlier in his welcome address expressed optimism that Saturday’s state congress will record huge success just like the recently conducted Ward and Local Government Congresses in the state did.