The breakaway faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Reformed APC (R-APC) is after members of the National Working Committee (NWC).
Already, the faction has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the nullification of the election of the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and 17 other elected national officers of the party
The group also wants INEC not to accord any form of recognition to the officers “purportedly elected at the June 23 APC National Convention.”
The letter, which was dated July 4, addressed to INEC Chairman, was signed by Alhaji Buba Galadima as R-APC Chairman.
Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, however, said he was not aware of such letter.
But the National Publicity secretary of the APC, Bolaji Abdullahi, has said the electoral umpire has no role in the matter.
The R-APC said the emergence of the national officers was a breach of the 1999 Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the APC (Article 20(1)).
Galadima, who said he is a foundation member of APC, a member of its Board of Trustees (BoT), National Caucus and an automatic delegate at its National Convention, told INEC that the June 23 APC convention was flawed and undemocratic.
He noted that the congresses leading to the election of the party’s national officers held in various wards, local government areas and states on May 2, 5, and 8, 2018, were disputed.
“These congresses leading up to the National Convention of the party were marred with serious irregularities and manipulations to the extent that in at least 22 states, parallel congresses were held and different set of delegates and officers emerged.
“Some of the states includes: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto and Zamfara,” he said.
Galadima further stated that the election of some of the national officers of the party contravened Article 20(1) of the APC Constitution, which says:
“Unless otherwise provided for: All party posts prescribed or implied by this Constitution shall be filled by democratically conducted elections at the respective National Convention or Congress subject, where possible, to consensus, provided that where a candidate has emerged by consensus for an elective position, a vote of ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ by ballot or voice shall be called, to ensure that it was not an imposition which could breed discontent and crisis
He listed the affected officers to include: National Chairman – Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; National Welfare Secretary – Alhaji Ibrahim Masari; National Financial Secretary – Alhaji Tunde Bello; National Physically Challenged –Misbahu L. Didi; Zonal Secretary North-Central, Dr. Zakari Muhammed; Zonal Organising Secretary North-Central – Ibrahim M. Abdul; Zonal Women Leader North-Central – Hajia Hassana Abdullahi; Ex-Officio North-Central – Nelson Abba.; and Zonal Secretary North-East – Abubakar Sadiq Ajia; Ex-Officio North-East – Mallam Isah Azare; Zonal Secretary North-West – Tukur A. Gusau;
Zonal Organizing Secretary North-West – Abdulmunab Muhammad; Ex-Officio, North-West – Nasiru Haladu Danu; Zonal Woman Leader South-South – Mrs. Rachael Akpabio; Ex-Officio, South-South – Kotenten Ibadan; Zonal Secretary South-West – Ayo Afolabi; Zonal Women Leader South-West – Mrs. Kemi Nelson and Ex-Officio South-West – Omoloye O. Akintola.
Galadima stated that in the course of the convention, many other persons purportedly withdrew from the contest for the various offices, adding that the convention chairman announced them as unopposed and ‘elected’ without following any form of due process.
“This affected the position of the National Secretary and others
“What transpired was that the chairman of the convention, His Excellency, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, flagrantly usurped the powers of the delegates and declared 18 officers elected without following the laid down criteria,” he added, declaring that he has attached the video recording of the relevant aspects of the proceedings of the convention to the letter.
Also attached, according to him, was a transcript of the proceedings concerning the 18 officers.
He observed that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 provides in S.223 (1) and (2) that there shall be periodical election, on a democratic basis, of the principal officers and members of the executive committee or other governing body of a political party; and that the election of the officers or members of the executive committee of a political party shall be deemed to be periodical only if it is made at regular intervals not exceeding four years.
The R-APC Chairman further noted that the Electoral Act, 2010, as amended, gives INEC the powers to monitor political parties.
.new telegraph