Alex Enumah in Abuja
Youth groups of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the platform of Youths and Solidarity Forum, have called on the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN); Minister of Transport, Mr Rotmi Amaechi, and others seeking elective political offices in the 2023 general election to resign from office before the party’s primaries slated for next month.
Amaechi and some serving ministers, as well as heads of agencies and parastatals in the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration have already declared their intentions to run in the forthcoming general election.
However, in their responses, the youth in their thousands, who besieged the APC Headquarters in Abuja Wednesday, said the party is not the property of any individual, hence no one should hold the party to ransom.
Speaking through their Convener, Tobias Ogbeh, the youth argued that the non-resignation of such persons before the primaries could jeopardise the party’s presidential ticket.
They stated that they cannot continue to feign ignorance to the attitudes of some vested interest in the party who have arrogated to themselves the powers to decide how to play the game in contravention of the rules of engagement as stipulated in the 2022 Electoral Act as amended.
“The last time we checked, the APC is not a personal property of a select few. Many of us in various capacities indeed contributed to the development and growth of the party over the years. It is insulting to our sensibilities when some persons whose contributions to the party can be counted with their fingertips are pushing the party towards the brink.
“It is no longer news that the general election in 2023 is well underway. As such, it behoves that the party should be adequately prepared at this point. But we are worried that all is not well within the party with regards to the provisions in Section 84(12) of the elections, which states thus:
“No political appointees at any level shall be a voting delegate or be voted for at the Convention or Congress of any political party for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for any election.
“As we all know, the Electoral Act has been passed into law, and one wonders why political appointees in government that have indicated interest in contesting elective positions have refused to resign their appointments,” Ogbeh said.
He explained that as concerned stakeholders in the APC, the youth are appalled that such illegality would thrive, yet they pride themselves as progressives.
Ogbeh also queried what he described as a regime of selective judgment in the implementation of the provisions of the Electoral Act and called on the president to do what is right.
According to him, “We are using this medium to reiterate that Section 84(12) of the Electoral Act is clear and unambiguous. Mr President should stop protecting a few influential individuals within the party to the detriment of the entire country. Such actions would be detrimental to the party’s electoral success in the 2023 general election.
“This is indeed a clarion call to the national chairman of our great party and other members of the NWC to rise to the occasion to save the party from the calamity that is about to befall it through the actions of the AGF and other political appointees that have refused to resign their appointments in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.”
APC Youths Tell Malami, Amaechi, Others to Resign before Party’s Primary
