Amidst tension, pending crises, APC inaugurates 35 State Chairmen, suspends two

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The All Progressive Congress (APC), in a tension soaked atmosphere; amidst a plethora of unresolved crises in some States, yesterday inaugurated Chairmen of thrifty five State chapters of the party, even as it left Kano and Sokoto pending, due to the impasse which had trailed its State congress.

Recall that controversy had characterised the conduct of Ward and State congresses, with many chieftains of the party allegedly shutout, where they held parallel congresses, especially in State like Kano, Zamfara, Delta, Abia, Enugu, Oyo, among others.

On the heels of this development, as early as 9am, supporters of victorious State Chairmen and thugs of aggrieved party chieftain, were set for an epic battle over the soul of the APC National Secretariat, hence the leadership of the party, in their wisdom, engaged the services of hefty and weird looking security agents to staveoff the impending showdown and breakdown of law and order at the party Secretariat.

Sequel to this highly electrified situation at the APC Secretariat, Junior and middle staff, journalists of the APC Secretariat were barred by security agents from gaining access to their offices, just as vehicular and human movement were barricaded from the beginning to the end of the Blantyre street on Wuse 2, Abuja, on which APC Secretariat is situated.

While the screening of who enters and leaves APC Secretariat yesterday was rough and tough, even the chairman of the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Mai Mala Buni, who is also the Governor of Yobe State, had hectic time driving into the premises due to the hook and push at the gate, in-spite of the human shield built around him by his supporters.

Meanwhile, the States which had their Chairman inaugurated and their Congresses endorsed by the party CECPC included: Dr. Kingsley Ononogbu (Abia), Alh Ibrahim Bilal (Adamawa), Mr Augustine Enefiok Ekanem (Akwa Ibom), Hon Basil Ejike (Anambra), Alh Babayo Aliyu Misau (Bauchi), Dr. Dennis Otiotio (Bayelsa), Mr Augustine Agada (Benue), Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori (Borno), and Mr. Alphonsus Orgar Eba Esq. (Cross River).

Others are: Elder Omeni Sabotie (Delta), Hon. Stanley Okoro Emegha (Ebonyi), retired Col David Imuse (Edo), Barr. Omotosho Paul Ayodele (Ekiti), Chief Ogochukwu Agballah (Enugu), Mr Nitte K Amangal (Gombe), Dr Macdonald Ebere (Imo), Hon. Aminu Sani Gumel (Jigawa), Air Cdre Emmanuel Jekada (Rtd) (Kaduna), Alh. Muhammed Sani (Katsina), Alh. Abubakar Muhammed Kana (Kebbi) and Hon. Abdullahi Bello (Kogi).

Others include: Prince Sunday Adeniran Fagbemi (Kwara), Hon. Cornelius Ojelabi (Lagos), Mr John D Mamman (Nasarawa), Hon. Haliru Zakari Jikantoro (Niger), Chief Yemi Sanusi (Ogun), Engr Ade Adetimehin (Ondo), Prince Adegboyega Famodun (Osun), Hon Isaac Omodewu (Oyo), Hon Rufus Bature (Plateau), Chief Emeka Bekee (Rivers). Hon Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi (Taraba), Alh Muhammed A. Gadaka (Yobe), Alh. Tukur Umar Danfulani (Zamfara) and Alh. Abdulmalik Usman (FCT).

Inaugurating the Chairmen, the National Secretary of CECPC, John James Akpanudoedehe, said “I have been asked to issue you a certificate of return as duly elected chairmen of your state. So it’s going be very brief. So I want to start by calling one by one, each of the states”.

Addressing the State Chairmen and the CECPC members during the inauguration, the chairman of Forum of State Chairmen of APC, Hon. Bukar Dalori, who is the chairman of Borno state chapter of APC, said the Caretaker Chairman had led the party with an unimpeachable commitment to move the party forward and carry all members and leaders along.

According to him “In the last few months, we have witnessed leadership finesse in the manner party affairs are conducted. There is no doubt that Your Excellency has brought your experience to bear in piloting the affairs of our great party.

“Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and the limitations associated with it, your practical ingenuity to still mobilize people to join the party will go down memory lane as being uncharacteristically magnificent.

“We remember vividly how all the Committees,  especially the Women and Youths Mobilization Committee led by Governor Yahaya Bello deployed the media to market our party to millions of Nigerians. APC is indeed blessed with great leaders.

“On behalf of my colleagues, we wish to pledge our unalloyed loyalty to the leadership of Your Excellency and to assure you that we are all behind you all the way as your achievements have shown your sterling qualities.

“You are a great example to all of us and in the next few weeks, we shall be learning from you, the magic that brought Governors and other political bulldozers to the party.

“There was a joke among party members that when you see Governor Mai Mala Buni with an opposition leader, APC is about to witness an influx. How you do it without noise, makes it even more commendable. It is in the interest of all party leaders and members to give you the deserved support. You are a blessing to our party.

“We have taken your charge in good faith and like soldiers, we shall be unrelenting in marching our party to a  commanding and convincing victory in 2023.