- Delta APC inaugurates seven committees across senatorial zones
Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano and Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba
As the All Progressives Congress (APC) moves to restore peace and order in the parry structure across the country, former governor of Kano state, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and his supporters yesterday shunned the mini-congress organised by the Kano state chapter of the ruling party.
Kwankwaso, who is now the serving senator of Kano central senatorial along with his redcap supporters, did not participate in the congress allegedly because of the internal crisis and factionalistion between Kwankwaso and Governor Abdulahi Ganduje. However, the other two senators, Senator Kabiru Gaya and Barau Jibrin of Kano South and Kano North respectively attended the congress.
The state party also conducted a bye-election into 15 vacant positions to replace those who distanced themselves from the Ganduje administration and joined the Kwankwaso camp.
According to the chairman of the electoral committee, Prince Nwafor Orizu, “this is not a full congress; the idea is to fill in the vacancy created by deaths, resignation and appointment.†He pledged to supervise transparent, fair and balanced elections in line with APC rules and regulations.
Party delegates from across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state converged at the Sani Abacha Indoor Sport Hall to elect the state party executives to run the affairs of the party for the remaining period of the tenure of executives.
The congress attracted over 2,820 known delegates from 484 political wards in the state and automatic delegates who comprised former members of state and the National Assembly.
In an address, the state Chairman of the delegates screening committee, Mr. Mohammad Nadu Yahaya stated that, “the contest is open to all members of the party in the state and so far.
Yahaya stated that the number of people that appeared before the screening committee were properly screened and accredited to fully participate in the exercise.
“All the contestants that were also screened met the criteria which qualified them to seek for the vacant positions in the party executive. So, we are happy that the exercise is going on smoothly without any rancour or ill-feelings,†he added.
There was, however, tight security in and around the Sani Abacha stadium where the congress was held yesterday.
Meanwhile, following the successful unification of the factional groups in the state chapter of the party, the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC), at the weekend in Asaba, inaugurated new committees to run its affairs at different local levels and to represent it at the national party level.
The seven main committees inaugurated – made up of members of the hitherto feuding factions – include the Senatorial District Committee, Local Government Area Party Chairmen Committee, State Executive Committee Members, Past Members of the National Assembly Committee, Past Members of State House of Assembly, and Members of State Caucus committees.
Moreover, one member each from the three senatorial districts was picked to serve in the National Executive Committee of the APC chaired by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.
Different committees were also inaugurated to oversee the state party’s finances, strategy/research/policy, publicity, security, reconciliation/peace and grassroots mobilisation, among ten other committees.
The ceremony, which took place at the party’s state secretariat in West End area of Asaba was attended by several chieftains of the party, including members of the state executive committee, representatives of the national executive and working committees.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu and the APC gubernatorial flag-bearer in the 2015 election, Chief O’tega Emerhor, were part of the well-attended meeting.
Other party leaders, who joined the state chairman of the party, Mr. Jones Ode Erue, included the Chief Cyril Ogodo who is the deputy state chairman, as well as the state secretary, Mr. Chidi Okonji, erstwhile military administrator, AVM Frank Ajobena, as well as some members of the National Assembly including Mr. John Halims Agoda and Mrs. Doris Uboh.
In their remarks during the inauguration, Kachikwu and Emerhor expressed delight that the APC in Delta State could once more operate as one entity, urging the members to embrace the task of rebuilding the party in the state with zeal and a sense of common purpose.
Emheror, who harped on the need for members of the new committees to go back to their respective bases at the ward, local government and senatorial district levels, charged the state chairman of the party, Prophet Erue, to pull the leadership together and ensure all members are treated as members of one family in order to face future political challenges with renewed commitment and optimism.
The speakers and commentators were unanimous about the resolve to improve the electoral lots of the APC in Delta State and to give the predominant and ruling PDP state government a good run for their money.
