Tony Momoh
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo
The leadership of a faction of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has said there is no letting-off the steam in its quest to unseat the current national executive of the party from office.
The group led by the former National Chairman of the party, Senator Rufai Hanga, said it is still going ahead with its court action instituted against the constitution of the Tony Momoh-led executive.
When the group’s case came up at the Federal Court, the presiding judge declined action on it on the ground that it was not properly filed. It was then transferred to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In a statement signed by the former CPC National Publicity Secretary, Chief Dennis Aghanya, the group described as unfounded insinuations that it has withdrawn the case from the court.
“We wish to debunk the rumour going round that the Senator Hanga-led NEC of the CPC has withdrawn its court case against the purported Tony Momoh group hence paving way for their merger arrangement. This is false,” he said.
He said the case has been delayed because the courts have been on recess.
According to Aghanya, next hearing on the case will come up on October 16, 2012 at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court before Justice Banjoko.
Aghanya also said he has entered an appeal against the judgment of the High Court that ruled in favour of his suspension from the party.
He further said that the “suit filed by the National Secretary of our 31 state chairmen’s forum, Alhaji Barau Ningi and others against CPC is still pending and will come up in October.
“It is therefore a ploy by those peddling the rumour to confuse our followers into believing that all is now well and as such to support their ill-conceived idea of extincting a party that took us much pains and sacrifice to build in the name of merger.
“In as much as we sincerely believe that the party should be giving a broad based foundation, which steps we are already taking by concluding plans with prominent progressives across the country to fill in the space, we will resist all those who are recruited to destroy our party.
Expressing the group’s opposition to the current move by CPC to forge alliance or merger with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Aghanya said the merger talks is nothing but an attempt to destroy the party.
“They have destroyed the CPC and now intend to wipe the name from the face of the earth by jumping into ACN. What is the crime in rebuilding our party and making sincere effort to reunite all the factions?
“Rather they want to leave behind all the problems they have created to move into a new house others worked hard to build. What is the guarantee that they will not infect their new abode with the same problem? They could not stay with their brothers in the ANPP.
“ They moved into the CPC and now want to move into the ACN. Well they are free to decamp because the CPC will remain intact. No merger!
“We shall continue to acknowledge the leadership of General Buhari in addition to all such people who are ready to offer us same.
“As a political party, our goal is to provide an ideal political platform, which is not tied to a personal ambition of any individual or persons but to the benefit of the generality of all Nigerians by ensuring that the desired leadership, which is missing in the administration of President Goddluck Jonathan is provided.
“President Jonathan has failed in all his election promises and Nigerians are going through their worst times.”
He described the step taken by the forum of the 31 state chairmen under Alhaji Abubakar Hayatu to constitute a caretaker committee to salvage the party as a laudable one.
“We stand by their decisions to suspend all those they did. They have the capacity, determination and willingness to achieve this herculean task,” he said.