APC disowns Niger interim chair

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has disowned the interim chairman of the party in Niger State Ibrahim Shettima, saying it is yet to constitute any leadership of the party in the state.

This is contained in a reply letter to Shettima by interim national secretary of the party Tijjani Musa Tumsah.

Shettima had written Tumsah inviting him to an office opening ceremony in Minna on Saturday, but Tumsah in his response said the national leadership does not recognize any interim chairman of APC in Niger State.

In his reply letter dated January 17, 2014, Tumsah said: “I write to decline your invitation to attend an office opening ceremony in Minna, Niger State. I noticed that the invitation letter was signed in your capacity as interim state chairman of the party in Niger State. For the avoidance of doubt, the interim executive committee has not advanced its list of statutory leaders to run the affairs of the party in the state.”

Tumsah said further that “In the above regard, I urge you to avoid creating divisions in an otherwise peaceful party atmosphere. The composed list of the interim executive committee of Niger State will be forwarded to the national secretariat, through the national vice-chairman (North Central) for the necessary approval to commence its activities. While I urge you to exercise restraint, please accept assurances of my highest regards.”

Commenting on the matter,a member of the House of Representatives from Niger State Rep Garba Abdullahi Idris (APC, Niger) said with Tumsah’s letter, people should disregard Shettima as the interim chairman of the party in the state.

He said the office opening ceremony organized by Shettima and his group was a ploy as one of the national officers of the party Nasir El-Rufai was invited without knowing what was going on.

He said none of the federal and state lawmakers of the party attended the said ceremony, which questions the credibility of the whole event.

Shettima, when contacted, said he cannot comment on the content of a letter he has not seen.