TheNewsGuru

Tag: APC Congresses

  • APC Congresses: Delegates elect new executives in states; exercise postponed indefinitely in Taraba

    APC Congresses: Delegates elect new executives in states; exercise postponed indefinitely in Taraba

    Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have elected new executive committee members to pilot the affairs of the party in various states of the federation.

    This follows the party’s state congresses conducted on Saturday (today) in various states of the federation.

    While the exercise went smoothly in some states, others witnessed the emergence of two sets of officials as a result of the parallel elections held.

    Among the states where the exercise went smoothly was the Lagos chapter of the party. There, members adopted the voice vote approach to elect a new set of executive members.

    The election of the candidates for the 36 positions at the congress took place at the Onikan Stadium in the Lagos Island area of the state.

    Party leaders at the congress include Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat, and some members of the National Assembly.

    They are the lawmaker representing Lagos Central district, Oluremi Tinubu, and a member of the House of Representatives, James Faleke, among others.

    Chairman of the Election Organising Committee, Adebayo Adelabu, explained that 35 out of the 36 positions were returned unopposed.

    He added that 37 forms were received for the office of the state chairman, but only two candidates were screened for the position.

    Adelabu, said while one was disqualified, the committee was left with the option of one candidate for the position of the chairman.

    He stated that the guidelines set by the national leadership of the party for the state congress had been met before going ahead to throw open the voice vote option which was unanimously adopted by the delegates who thundered their approval from the pavilions.

    Thereafter, a former member of the House in the 6th Assembly and former Commissioner for Rural Development in Lagos, Cornelius Ojelabi, emerged as the state chairman of the APC.

    In his acceptance speech, Ojelabi promised to work assiduously with other executives to return the governor of Lagos state in 2023.

    In Yobe, the immediate past Treasurer of the state chapter of the party, Mohammed Gadaka, emerged as the new chairman alongside 35 other executive members.

    This followed the announcement by the Election Committee Chairman, Osita Izunaso, that the party had unanimously adopted a consensus for the 36 positions of the party.

    Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, monitored the exercise alongside the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, and the Resident Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Yobe, Ahmed Makama.

    The exercise held at the Government House in Damaturu, the state capital.

    Elsewhere, delegates from the 18 local government areas of Ondo voted the acting state party chairman, Ade Adetimehin, to champion the APC in the state.

    Alaye Adesina and Agabra Atile also emerged as secretary and deputy chairman at the congress held at the International Culture and Events Centre in Akure.

    The Deputy Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, monitored the exercise on behalf of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. While the Congress Committee Chairman, Komral Longap, welcomed the delegates, the team’s secretary, Segun Olamibi, announced that voting would be by consensus.

    The new executive members were later adopted by an APC chieftain, Jamiu Ekungba, on behalf of the party, an action that was seconded by a member of the House of Representatives from Owo/Ose Constituency, Timehin Adelegbe.

    Adetimehin, in his acceptance speech, thanked the leadership and members of the party for their support and promised that the new executive members would serve the APC with total commitment.

    Just like in other states, APC members in Kaduna adopted the consensus option to elect new state executive committee members.

    This led to the emergence of Air Commodore Emmanuel Jekada as the state chairman, while some former officials of the party were returned unopposed.

    The Congress Committee Chairman, Abubakar Moddibo, explained that the consensus option adopted by the state chapter was in line with the party’s constitution.

    Governor Nasir El-Rufai; his deputy, Hadiza Balarabe; Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, and others attended the Congress held at the Murtala Mohammed Square in the Kaduna state capital.

    The congress was also monitored by INEC officials led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kaduna.

    Party suffers setback in Taraba State

    Meanwhile, as the congress held in Ogun, Niger, and other states, it suffered a setback in Taraba where the exercise was rescheduled indefinitely.

    APC spokesman in the state, Bulus Gago, confirmed the development on Saturday. No reason was given for the postponement of the state congress.

    But, on Wednesday, some stakeholders of the party threatened to boycott the congress, as well as file a suit if their grievances were not addressed.

    These include the inability of the national headquarters to publish winners of the ward and local government congresses, alleged hijacking of the party structure by some bigwigs, among others.

  • Supreme Court verdict: Buhari rattled by possible fallout from APC congresses, gives matching orders to Osinbajo

    Supreme Court verdict: Buhari rattled by possible fallout from APC congresses, gives matching orders to Osinbajo

    President Muhammadu Buhari appears not to be taking the recent judgement of the Supreme Court judges which narrowly upheld the election of Rotimi Akeredolu as Ondo State governor lightly.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that Akeredolu’s major rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jedege had challenged Akeredolu’s victory from the Tribunal up to the apex court which delivered judgement in favour of Akeredolu on Wednesday.

    However, since the judgement was pronounced, there had been fireworks within the ranks of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the legality of the Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State led Caretaker Committee of the party and the powers to conduct ward congresses scheduled to commence from today (Saturday).

    This perhaps led President Buhari to direct Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to meet with all ministers who are lawyers in his cabinet.

    TNG gathered that sequel to Buhari’s directive, Osinbajo summoned a session with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN), Works Minister Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Minister of State for Labour and Employment Festus Keyamo (SAN) and Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed.

    The session debated the status of the CECPC chairman and whether the party should proceed with the ward congresses beginning today.

    Buhari was awaiting a feedback from the Vice President to enable him give a clear directive.

    A reliable source said the majority of participants at yesterday’s session “spoke in the right direction and supported the suspension of the congresses in order to avoid any consequence on the party’s fortunes in 2023.

    “They also favoured a proposal to ask Buni to step aside in the light of the judgment.

    “But Malami at the meeting said there won’t be any legal or constitutional obstacles if Buni leads the caretaker committee to conduct the congresses. They were of the strong opinion that the judgment does not affect the status of Buni or APC.

    “Those concerned also pleaded that Buni should not be disgraced out of his seat. They demanded an ingenuous way of resolving the aftermath of the judgment of the Supreme Court.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “The VP is expected to get back to the President on the aggregate opinion of the meeting. Although the President mandated him to take appropriate decision, he will still defer to the number one leader.”

    The President was yet to take his final decision at press time.

    It was also gathered that there had been no communication between the Vice President and Buni on the next step by the party.

    However, Buni, in a statement through his Director-General for Press and Media Affairs, Mamman Mohammed, insisted that the Ward Congresses would go ahead.

    He pleaded with APC members nationwide to be peaceful during the congresses.

    He asked members to “place the party and members interest above personal interests” and warned that the APC would “not hesitate to take decisive measures against anyone who deliberately sabotages the congresses.”

    “We have come a long way repositioning the party. We have reconciled many groups and individuals. We must not allow personal interests in this election to divide us and draw us back,” he said.

  • Dogara, nine others drag Oyegun to court over conduct of APC congresses

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and nine others have sued the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, over the conduct of ward and local government congresses of the party in Bauchi State.

    The plaintiffs claimed that the conduct of the congresses was in breach of the APC Constitution and congress guidelines.

    They asked the court to halt today’s state congress in their state on account of the pending suit.

    In the suit filed by A.U. Mustapha, SAN from A.U. Mustapha, SAN & Co, the Speaker alleged that the results of ward and local government congresses in the state were “cooked up.”

    The defendants are APC, Oyegun, National Secretary of APC, State Chairman of APC, Dr. Tony Macfoy and Mr. Sam Para.

    Apart from Dogara, other plaintiffs are Senators Sulaiman Nazif, Isa Hammah Misau and Muhammad Muhammad; Dr. Ibrahim Yakubu Lame; Hon. Ibrahim Zailani; Amb. Yusuf M. Tuggar and Captain Mohammed Bala Jibrin.

    The 10 aggrieved stalwarts sought the following reliefs from the Federal High Court, Abuja:

    An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants by themselves or through their agents, assigns, privies staff or any other person or persons acting through them from recognising, ratifying or according legitimacy to the ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th day of May respectively, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    An order of interim injunction restraining the Defendants, their agents, cohorts, privies or any other persons deriving authority from recognising the purported ward and local government congresses conducted in Bauchi on 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively.

    A declaration that the purported ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress purportedly conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th days of May 2018 respectively are illegal, invalid, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.

    A declaration that the results declared by the 5th Respondent pursuant to the purported ward and local government congresses are illegal, invalid, null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

    An order restraining the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants from recognising the purported ward and local government congresses of the All Progressives Congress conducted in Bauchi State on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively.

    An order directing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Defendants to immediately conduct fresh wards and local government congresses in Bauchi State.

    An order restraining the persons who were declared as winners at the purported wards and local government congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 respectively from parading themselves as executive officers/delegates of the 1st Defendant’s wards and local government Areas of Bauchi State.

    An order stopping them from conducting or taking any step to conduct the state congress of the All Progressives Congress or any other congress in Bauchi State pending the determination of the Motion on Notice.

    While suit FHC/ABJ/CS/521/2018 has not been assigned by the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Abdu Kafarati, the Speaker wrote a letter to Oyegun (through his counsel) requesting the party to stay action on the state congress today in view of the pending action.

    The letter said in part: “The above subject matter refers. We are counsel to the Plaintiffs (hereinafter referred to as “Our Clients”) in the above named suit instituted by the Plaintiffs challenging the legality of the conduct of the Ward and Local Government Congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018 in Bauchi State on whose firm instruction we write.

    “We wish to notify your esteemed self of the pendency of the above named suit which we instituted on behalf of our clients to challenge the conduct of the Ward and Local Government Congresses purportedly held on the 5th and 12th days of May, 2018.

    “In the said suit, our clients are praying the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for declaratory and injunctive reliefs against the All Progressives Congress, the Principal Officers of the Party and the Committees constituted for the conduct of the said congresses.

    “Furthermore, in the pending suit, we also seek Interim and Interlocutory injunctions restraining the Defendants from proceeding with the conduct of the State Congress scheduled to hold in Bauchi State on Saturday the 19th day of May, 2018.

    “Please find attached copies of the court’s processes in respect of the pending Suit for your information and proper guidance.

    “Take notice therefore, that the planned or forthcoming state congress slated for Saturday, the 19th day of May, 2018, must not hold in view of the long settled principle of law that when a suit is pending in court, parties are not allowed to take steps that will have nugatory effect on the outcome of the suit or foist on the court a fait accompli.

    “Further take notice that any attempt to proceed with the planned or forthcoming state congress in Bauchi State on Saturday the 19th May, 2018, would be an affront on the judiciary as same is now subjudice.

    “Consequently, we request that you use your good offices to ensure that APC, the ruling party, conforms with the tenets of the rule of law by ensuring that the forthcoming APC state congress in Bauchi State is suspended forthwith pending the determination of the above captioned suit.”

    In an affidavit by Hon. Maryam Garba Bagel (Dass Constituency, Bauchi State House of Assembly), she said: “That I know as a fact that the purported Ward and Local Government Congresses of the 1st Defendant purportedly conducted in Bauchi State on 5th and 12th May 2018 were fraught with widespread irregularities from the initial preparations to the eventual conduct of the purported conduct of the congresses.

    “That the Party Constitution and Congress guidelines were observed in breach during the conduct of the purported congresses thereby disenfranchising many aspirants and members of the party from participation.

    “That I know as a fact that members of the party in my constituency were gathered at the venue for the ward congress but were dispersed by security operatives at the instance of the State Government.

    “That agent of the State Government thereafter cooked up results of the purported elections at the various wards and forwarded same to the Ward Congress Committee.

    “That the Ward Congress is the root upon which the conduct of Local and State Government Congresses is predicated, and as same has turned out to be a total fiasco, there is the need by this Honourable Court to nullify same.”