No Vacancy, Ganduje Remains Chairman

The All Progressives Congress on Tuesday informed the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello that it has no vacancy for the position of National Chairman because a former Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje is still in charge.

The party which was reacting to the emergence of campaign posters of Alhaji Yahaya Bello purportedly seeking to contest the position of the National Chairman of the APC, also protested against the failure and refusal of the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, Dewan Gabriel to swear in its 16 members despite the verdict by the Court of Appeal which declared them as the duly elected members.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, stated these in Abuja while giving journalists the decision of its 141st meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

According to him, the party had yet to make any decision on organizing a mini convention any time soon.

Both the APC and Yahaya Bello described the theory surrounding APC chairmanship as the handiwork of mischief makers and urged the perpetrators to desist from doing so.

“There is no vacancy in the office of the National chairman of the party. Our National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje is our chairman and he is operating as the chairman.

“So, there is no vacancy in that office. And yes, we have also seen some of those posters. This is democracy. People do what they want. But the office of the National chairman is properly and fully occupied.

“We have absolute and total confidence in his leadership of the party. Nobody is asking for that office to be declared vacant and it is not vacant. I will want to warn those who are throwing these papers around to desist from doing that”, Morka emphasized.

Also, Bello in a disclaimer issued by his Media Office, described the posters as “clandestine moves by some mischief makers to create confusion within the hierarchy of the APC.”

The disclaimer said, “This is the handiwork of some opposition leaders and some 5th columnists within the party. A part of the plans already being hatched is the circulation of campaign posters with the picture of His Excellency Alh. Yahaya Bello, CON, the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, insinuating that he is contesting for the position of the National Chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress. The insinuation is infantile, false and should be disregarded.

“Our party is not in the process of conducting Congresses or a Convention, therefore, there is absolutely no basis for anyone to circulate any posters for party offices.

“Let it be made abundantly clear that His Excellency Alh. Yahaya Bello did not authorize anyone to circulate any posters on his behalf as he remains a loyal party man who is committed to the leadership of the National Chairman of the Party, His Excellency Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.

“We urge members of the general public to disregard the mischief of the people circulating posters to create a false impression.”

The APC, according to Morka, resolved to to flag off the update of members register nationally in Niger State, then flag off in one state in each of the other geo-political zones

He said the party also adopted, in its entirety, the report of the NWC’s high level reconciliation and intervention delegation to its United Kingdom Diaspora Chapter.

Morka say, “In particular, the NWC approved the constitution of an Interim Executive Committee of the Chapter of 24 members to be led by its Chairman, Hon. Tunde Doherty and Secretary, Hon. Joseph Adebola. The Interim Executive Committee shall have a term of three months, which term may be renewed as may be necessary.

“The intransigence of the Speaker and the Governor of the state in this matter is wrong, undemocratic and violently contemptuous of the authority of the Court of Appeal, the highest court for the determination of election petition matters as it concerns the House of Assembly. The NWC urges the Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly to swear in the members without further delay in the interest of peace in the good State of Plateau.”