Crises Hits Benue APC as Aggrieved Members Demands Cancellation of State Congress

George Okoh in Makurdi
Following the outcome of the Saturday Benue State All Progressive Congress (APC) state congress, a crack has emerged within the party as a group of aggrieved members known as Aggrieved Benue South APC members had called for the cancellation of the party’s congresses held in Benue State over irregularities.

In a statement signed by a former senatorial candidate of the party Comrade Daniel Donald Onjeh, for the group, the aggrieved party members described the APC congress conducted in the state as a ‘complete sham.’

They called the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Chairman and other members of the top hierarchy of APC as well as stakeholders of the party to come to the rescue of the party.

The statement alleged that many aspirants for state positions who had earlier deposited their monies and obtained their tellers, were denied nomination forms by the State Congress Planning Committee in collaboration with the state executives who favoured only few selected aspirants that were either sponsored or endorsed by the cabals and availed of their nomination forms.

It also added that the planning committee for the state neither had a secretariat nor a meeting point where people could access it and its members just as the state party secretariat which ordinarily should be a beehive of activities during the crucial period of the state congress was under lock and key.

“We recall that the APC National Executive Committee had earlier directed that elective congresses be held across the states, as contained in the Congress Guidelines and Proceedings. Aspirants were required to deposit the amounts for the nomination forms of their respective choices into designated Bank Accounts of the party, then tender their deposit tellers to the Congress Planning Committee and collect their nomination forms. Aspirants were further required to fill the forms and return them to the Congress Planning Committee not later than 24 hours to the date of the Congress”

‘‘Furthermore, the Congress Guidelines clearly stipulated who the delegates for the State Congresses should be, which were the Executives of the party from the Ward and Local Government levels.

‘But to our utter amazement, many aspirants for state positions who had earlier deposited their monies and obtained their tellers, were denied nomination forms by the State Congress Planning Committee, scheming in cahoots with some incumbent state party executives and other cynical and ill-motivated cabals within the party in the state.
He said in the event the appeal committee fails to carry out the necessary action, the members will not hesitate to resort to litigation, adding that judiciary remains the last bastion of the oppressed.

Related Articles