Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that there is no faction in the party.
In response to Wednesday’s emergence of a splinter group known as Reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC), the party doubted the membership status of the individuals that were behind the faction.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its National National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, APC said it was currently studying the situation and will not hesitate to take lawful actions to defend the unity of the party.
“APC wishes to affirm that there is no faction in our party and declares the action by these individuals as mischievous and ill-advised,” it said.
The party said having failed to scuttle the National Convention as was their original plan, these individuals have now resorted “to this subterfuge as a way of achieving the pre-determined end of causing confusion”.
The statement said the group of individuals that announced themselves as “Reformed APC’ at a press conference held in Abuja on Wednesday were mischievous adding that by their actions, the group had attempted to create the impression that the party was factionalised.
“This is not true. As a matter of fact, we doubt that these individuals parading as leaders of the so called faction are actual members of our party. We are currently investigating their true membership status within the party.
“While we shall continue to monitor developments in this respect; we will not hesitate to take lawful actions to defend the unity of our party and protect the sanctity of its identity.
“We are currently reviewing the action of this so-called faction in order to determine if any aspect of the party’s constitution has been breached with the connivance of any of our members.
“For those members who have genuine grievances, we want to assure them of the commitment of the new leadership of the party to address those grievances as quickly as possible in a manner that ensures that justice is done to all,” it said.
The rAPC that emerged Wednesday had key members of the APC as its leaders. The national chairman of the splinter group, Buba Galadima, is an APC stalwart from Yobe State who served as the National Secretary of the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) before the party joined the APC merger. Also the Deputy National Chairman of the rAPC, Bala Muhammed Gwagwarwa, was until recently the immediate past National Treasurer of the APC.
