As Oshiomholes men ask court to stop Party’s National Convention
Some leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have papered over agitations regarding the partys zoning arrangement ahead of the 2023 General Elections, saying the Party has bigger issues to focus on rather than on who becomes the president in 2023.
The resolution was reached yesterday, after a meeting of the Forum of APC State Chairmen and members of the National Executive Committee (NEC) who are not part of the National Working Committee (NWC), the non-NWC NEC Forum.
Some politicians have been clamouring for a power shift to the South-East, while only a few days ago, the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, counselled the political class to honour any agreement they may have reached on zoning.
However, addressing journalists after the meeting, immediate-past National Vice Chairman North East of the party who doubles as Patron of State Chairmen of APC and NON-NWC NEC members of the APC, Comrade Mustapha Salihu said the occasion was mainly to deliberate on the affairs of the party.
Asked about whether the discussions were centred on permutations regarding the 2023 elections, Salihu said; There is nothing about 2023; we are talking about governance now. People should understand that there is time for governance, there is time for politics. When you start talking about 2023 now, I dont think we are fair to Nigerians who gave us this mandate.
It is proper for us now to talk about how we are going to deliver dividends of democracy, how we are going to deliver on the mandate given to us by Nigerians before we begin to talk about 2023. From now to 2023 is a lifetime. Only God knows how many of us will even reach 2023; but we know that we have the mandate of Nigerians to deliver dividends of democracy and that is what we are talking about. We have bigger issues to talk about rather than 2023″, he stated.
Salihu also stated that the meeting had in attendance a member of the Caretaker Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee Prof. Tahir Mamman (SAN) and three governors who he did not name.
In a related development, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, has been asked to stop the National Caretaker Committee member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from going ahead with the planned national convention.
The plaintiff in the suit, Ntufam Hilliad Etagboeta, is a loyal member of the dissolved NWC under Adams Oshiomhole, through his counsel, Chief Onyechi Ikpeazu, (SAN), raised some questions for determination.
Defedants in the suit are Governor Buni, Sen. John Akpan Udoedehe, the National Secretary, Isiaka Oyetola, Sani Bello, Stella Oketete and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). In the Originating Summons, Gov. Buni, Akpan Udoedehe, Oyetola, Bello and Oketete are the 1st to 5th defendants, while INEC is the 6th defendant.
The Caretaker Committee members, led by Yobe state governor, Mai Mala Buni, has planned the convention of the party for December to elect new executive members of the party.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
