By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
Supporters of the All Progressives Congress in Bauchi have called for the outright cancellation of state congress of the party in Bauchi, saying it was an imposition of non-members onto the leadership of the party.
The Supporters, under the aegis of coalition of Bauchi APC Supporters’ Groups vehemently rejected what they described as the imposition of the party’s leadership by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu who is the leader of the party in the state.
State APC supporters, in a coalition of 19 groups led by party stalwart, Malam Nasiru Chigari at a press conference in Bauchi Sunday said it is an undeniable fact that the imposed chairman candidate, Babayo Aliyu Misau is not bonifide member of the APC.
It could be recalled that last weekend’s congress of the APC in Bauchi ended having torn the party into two parallel factions led by Education Minister Adamu Adamu and the incumbent Nigerian Ambassador to Germany, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar
Chigari said, “Adamu Adamu’s attitude towards the party is something to worry about. This singular act is capable of truncating the relative peace enjoyed in the APC in Bauchi state”.
Malam Nasiru Chigari therefore called for the outright cancellation of the congress and a fresh one be conducted in tandem with party guidelines which provides internal democracy during such events.
Cigari added, “This form of high handedness exhibited by Minister Adamu Adamu has clearly manifested, and if not properly addressed will cause fracas within the party faithful”.
“We wish to stress unequivocally, as genuine party groups, that this remains our resolve, and we will follow every step humanly possible and within the legal frame to oppose such an act”, he concluded.
The groups have copied their complaints to the National Chairman, Caretaker Committee, All Progressive Congress (APC), Outgoing APC Bauchi state chairman, Honourable Members National Assembly Cactus Committee, Honourable Members State Assemble Cactus Committee, Bauchi state.
Other provided with copies of press statement text included APC Elders Advisory Committee, Bauchi state and All Progressive Congress members of Bauchi state
Meanwhile, one of the APC fallout faction in Bauchi arising from weekend’s state congress has claimed the leadership of the party in the state, saying it would not endorse the imposition of finger-puppet executives on party membership.
A spokesman of the faction, Hon Adamu S. Noma told a press conference in Bauchi Sunday said they have in their separate party congress elected Hon. Sunusi Aliyu Kunde as the substantive state chairman of the APC in Bauchi
Noma, believed to be speaking for the Tuggar-led faction of the party, explained that Hon. Sunusi Kunde – led Executives is the genuine leadership of the APC in Bauchi, taking into cognizance that they hold 80 percent majority of the party membership in the state.
He expressed regret that the state congress of the party which is constitutionally supposed to be conducted in Bauchi was defrauded to Abuja where Minister Adamu Adamu directed for the imposition of non-party members on the APC faithful.
The spokesman recalled that some of them were in Abuja to complaint to the national secretariat about the orchestrated plan to shift venue of the congress from its Bauchi original site, when the national leadership asked them to move back for Bauchi for the conduct the event at its rightful place.
“It is based upon the directive of the APC National secretariat that we moved back to state level where we harmoniously elected our executives in an atmosphere devoid of any rancor, where Hon. Sunusi Aliyu Kunde emerged as the chairman of the party in the state”.
Noma explained that he did not wonder the fallout of the Bauchi APC membership into two factions, having realized that the party is being tempered by the ruling PDP government in the state, and called on party faithful not to be enticed by money-bag politicians.
He observed that the factions in the Bauchi APC was deliberately created by the minister to bring in non-party members on board to satisfy the whims of some APC stakeholders whose aggrandized mission is to hold onto power at all cost.
Noma revealed that the Babayo Aliyu Misau led faction of the APC in Bauchi reportedly imposed at Abuja so-called consensus state congress of the party under the tutelage of Education Minister Adamu Adamu has only three votes when it was thrown open to vote-casting.
It was however gathered that Babayo Aliyu Misau purportedly emerged the state chairman of APC alongside 35 members of the executives following the consensus process that was reached at under the auspices of the minister.
Mr. Jibrin Sam, the State Congress Committee Chairman said the elected officials were elected through consensus by delegates and stakeholders of the party in the state.
Sam explained that the committee was mandated by the National Secretariat of the party to conduct free and fair congress in the state, saying “We give opportunity to stakeholders of each local government area and their zones to elect the state executives without rancor”.
“We are therefore affirming the elected officials according to the party guidelines and policies of the party. The committee did not interfere in the decision of stakeholders during the election process”.
He said the party was committed to bringing leaders that can work assiduously to wrestle power from the People Democratic Party government in the state, stressing that “Bauchi belongs to APC come 2023, the state will go back to the party”.
Sam commended Bauchi APC stakeholders and loyalists for displaying humbleness during the state congress of the party.
