The All Progressives Congress has officially sworn in the six additional officers into the National Working Committee despite strong opposition from the state chapters of the party in Kogi, Abia and Cross River states.
The one-hour inauguration, which was spearheaded by the National Chairman of the party, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, was done at the national headquarters of the party at about 8.45 pm on Friday.
The development is coming in the wake of protests by the aggrieved Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello; former Senator for Cross River South District and Abia APC who labelled the election of the officers as an imposition as against the names of nominees they submitted to the ruling party.
While Bello contested the choice of Duro Meseko as against Yahaya Ismail for the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary; Ita-Giwa and Cross River APC, Adolphus Ogar demanded the National Women Leader be given to Dr Stella Odey-Ekpo.
The Abia APC Caucus, on the other hand, appealed to the leadership of the ruling party not to consider swearing in Donatus Nwankpa as National Welfare Secretary claiming he wasn’t their preferred choice.
But following a marathon meeting with all the aggrieved parties at his residence on Thursday, Ganduje went ahead with the inauguration ceremony on Friday night with a Notary Public, Mustapha Abubakar, administering the oaths of office and allegiance on the new NWC members.
The new officers who took oath of office included Deputy National Chairman for North, Ali Bukar Dalori (Borno State); National Vice Chairman for North- West, Garba Datti Muhammad (Kaduna); National Legal Adviser, Prof. AbdulKarim Abubakar Kana (Nasarawa); National Welfare Secretary, Donatus Nwakpa (Abia); National Woman Leader, Mary Alile Idele, PhD (Edo); and, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko (Kogi).
Bello’s two nominees — Ikani Shuaibu Okolo earlier pencilled for the North-Central Zonal Organising Secretary and Ismail Yahaya nominated for the position of Deputy National Publicity Secretary — were however dropped.
Addressing the audience after the oath of office was administered, Ganduje pleaded for unity and understanding of all the APC members and supporters.
While stating that the complaints from Kogi, Abia and Cross River states had been acknowledged, he pledged that the candidates who were dropped would be considered for other appointments in fairness to all.
The former Kano governor also disclosed that arrangements were in top gear to inaugurate individual campaign councils ahead of the governorship elections slated for November 11 in Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi states.
He said; “We consulted with stakeholders, governors and others. We know there are some aggrieved people and they are very important. We will discuss with them and I will speak later on that. All of you are competent. We have seen your credentials and you have been nominated and elected through due process by the various stakeholders and therefore we congratulate you. As earlier mentioned, there is no doubt that there are some people who are also competent but you can only fill a person.
“From Kogi State, we have Ismail Yahaya. We have taken note of him and he will be engaged in one way or another. We have Ikani Shuaibu Okolo from Kogi State. He too will be engaged appropriately in our government. Mrs Obinna from Abia, she too will be accommodated. Hon. Dr Stella Ekpo from Cross River State. I think she is a medical doctor. She and two others from the state, according to the outcome of our dialogue, will be accommodated in our government. With these, I think we have achieved complete agreement and dialogue. We have achieved dialogue and we have deepened dialogue within our party and this is our culture. We are not dictators but that does not mean that everyone must necessarily agree with you.
“Also, we have already made a resolution that our party as an institution will be active throughout the year and not just during election periods. Our party will have operational and functional offices right from the wards, LGs, states, zonal and national offices as you can see. We believe we will be able to abide by all these.
“Very soon, we will launch the National Campaign Councils for our three states – Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi- going into elections this year. Instead of inaugurating the councils here in Abuja, we have decided to do so in the various state capitals so that we can connect with the various stakeholders.
