The All Progressives Congress, APC, ward congresses to elect party executives will hold nationwide on July 31, as scheduled, the party’s leadership has said.
John Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, said this at a news conference on Thursday in Abuja.
“To this end, Ward Congress Committees of the party have already been inaugurated and delegated with the responsibility of conducting, supervising and monitoring the scheduled congresses,’’ Mr Akpanudoedehe said.
He said the clarification became necessary following personal opinions being expressed by some individuals on the status of the party’s CECPC and its capacity to conduct the congresses.
Mr Akpanudoedehe said the party’s leadership, however, had no intention to join issues with those commenting on the Wednesday Supreme Court’s judgment that affirmed the election of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State.
He said that the court ruling had no bearing on the CECPC’s status and its membership.
The APC scribe, therefore, urged members and aspirants to come out en masse to participate in the congresses on Saturday.
He urged politicians to be guided by the spirit of good sportsman and accept defeat in good faith.
Mr Akpanudoedehe noted that those questioning the authority of the Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led CECPC to conduct the congresses were only venting their anger having realised that they might lose.
“All what we are hearing is because of the congresses; I want to assure them that the congresses will be fair and transparent.
“I want to advise them to go into their wards and be a party man and a true politician.
“When you lose, you dust yourself and re-strategise, not to destroy the party by misinforming the entire public,’’ he said.
He stressed that members of the CECPC would continue to stand by Buni, adding “we declare our unalloyed loyalty to him and to President Muhammadu Buhari.’’
He maintained that the APC remained strong and resolute, saying that Buni had been able to move it from the woods to a higher place.
According to him, the APC will not dance to the beating of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and will not be used to run the Federal Government down.
He called on members of the party to remain loyal, saying that the APC was firm in everything it was doing and about the President Buhari-led administration.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo in a statement on Wednesday regarding the minority judgment of the Supreme Court, said it had grave implications for the party.
Mr Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said the party risked being destroyed “from top to bottom” by the judiciary, if it ignored what the Justices said.
“We cannot gamble with this delicate issue. The time to act is now.
“The little technical point that saved Governor Akeredolu was that Jegede failed to join Mai Mala Buni in the suit,” he added.
