Some stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress under the auspices of the APC National Stakeholders Tuesday in Abuja warned against attempts to “impose” former members of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senators Abdullahi Adamu, and Ken Nnamani, as the party’s National Chairman and Deputy National Chairman, respectively.
This is as they said the APC is comfortable with former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode as a member, not an executive.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the stakeholders led by Audu Aliyu said they would resist any form of imposition disguised as consensus.
According to them, we have always been against imposition in whatever guise, considering our belief that whenever a consensus option is adopted, as long as it is not predated by wide consultation, it would no doubt violate every known democratic ethos and principle.
“The lingering and now widespread speculation as to the plan to bring a former member of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the person of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the APC National Chairman in the forthcoming Convention, where loyal, qualified and competent foundation members of the APC are also in the race is not only an aberration but a violation of the established principle of APC which respects long-term fidelity and frowns at injustice.
“While it is within his constitutional rights to vie for any position within the APC or even the country as a whole, we believe that the individuals who are purportedly behind the plot to make Abdullahi Adamu the next APC National Chairman cannot sit down alone in their zones and decide who gets what.”
The stakeholders maintained that Adamu, despite being undeserving of the coveted seat, has not demonstrated any commitment of being youth-inclined, especially when the APC youths—who constitute 80 per cent of the membership—have been decrying marginalisation.
The group also described Adamu’s recent assignment (as the reconciliation committee chairman) as a failure that accorded no recognition to the party’s youths, who are even more aggrieved by the people he consulted during the reconciliation process.
Asides from questioning his capacity and competence, the Aliyu-led group also cited unresolved cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, saying, “we the stakeholders will not be a party to any sort of travesty on our party’s anti-corruption ideology.”
They explained that Adamu does not possess the democratic credentials that should exemplify a National Chairman in a party like the APC, considering that he was one of the strong proponents of Obasanjo’s third-term agenda.
“If that plan had succeeded, the beneficiary might be sitting as a lifetime president today, but we wonder if that development would have deepened democracy so much as to have a progressive party like the APC, which some interests now want to hand over to Abdullahi Adamu.
“We, therefore, believe that any endorsement of Abdullahi Adamu, either purported or real, as the chairman of our party is a very dangerous gamble, one that signals a return of our much beloved progressive party to the hands of the original PDP members,” the APCNS said.
It also faulted a purported plan to make a former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, the Deputy National Chairman (South).
Speaking of Nnamani, the stakeholders said, “While he is known publicly to be a member of the All Progressives Congress, there are several instances where his loyalty to the party has been questioned…the APC would be playing safe by refusing to hand over such an essential position to a man whose loyalty once completely lied in the opposition.
“As stakeholders, we would rather throw our weight behind an aspirant whose integrity is unquestionable, someone who has demonstrated a proven capacity for youth inclusion and the ability to harvest the energy of young people to drive party activities, especially in this age of digital and social media mobilisation.”
Fielding questions about Femi Fani-Kayode serving on one of the Convention planning subcommittees, Aliyu said, “we do not frown at him being a member of the party; it’s his right. But we know certain leadership positions should not be given to such characters.”
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