Supreme Court judgement can’t affect APC ward congresses – National Secretary

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), John James Akpanudoedehe, has said the ward congresses of the party scheduled to commence across the country this Saturday, will proceed as planned despite the Supreme Court judgement which questioned the legality of the seat of the party’s Caretaker Chairman.

Recall that the apex Court had, while upholding the victory of the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, said holding office as an elected Governor, as well as the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC by Mai Mala Buni, is unconstitutional, just as actions taken so far by the Caretaker Committee Chairman is a nullity.

However, clearing the air yesterday on the implications of the Supreme Court judgement on the actions already taken by the APC Caretaker Committee led by Mai Mala Buni, the National Secretary of the party said the ward Congresses will go on as scheduled, adding that the party is firm about it.

Fielding questions from journàlists at the party’s national Secretariat in Abuja, Akpanudoedehe said “At this point in time, on behalf of the Caretaker Committee, we stand firmly with the National Chairman and we declare our unalloyed loyalty to him and the President. Our party is strong, resilient and we will continue to do so.

“This Chairman has been able to lift the party from the wood into a skyline that has been recognised all over the world, so we will not dance to the beatings of the PDP. We will not be used to bring down the government of the APC. We will hold the Congresses as scheduled and we are firm.”

He pointed out that the misinterpretation of the Supreme Court judgement was by some aggrieved politicians who are afraid of what the ward Congresses portend to their future political careers, but assured them that the party will be fair to all.

“If you are a politician, be a politician. As a politician, if you win or lose, you will be opted for another solution for your political career by reactivating what will happen in the future. We are yet to conduct the Congresses, a lot of people have been in disadvantaged positions in their wards and they want to vent their anger by misinforming the public.

“All what you are hearing is because of the Congresses. I want to assure them, the Congresses will be fair,  transparent and I will advise them to go into their wards and be a party man and not to destroy the party”, Akpanudoedehe said.