Crises Arising from APC Congresses Will Be Resolved Before Convention, Says Badaru
Stakeholders mull new date for convention
The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) convention committee and Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, yesterday promised that the seeming intractable dispute that trailed the party’s recent congresses would be addressed.
Badaru spoke with journalists shortly after the inauguration of various sub-committees that would help in organising its forthcoming elective national convention.
When asked whether he was worried about the recent parallel congresses witnessed in many states of the federation, the governor said: “I’m sure they will be resolved before the time of the convention. Most of those issues will be resolved in due time.” There were however protests by some stakeholders who alleged substitution of their names in list of sub-committees.
The complaint came just as some members of the convention committee have sought shift in convention date from June 2 to June 23.
Some of the stakeholders among whom were some staff of the APC had grumbled aloud, accusing the committee of removing several names initially published by it.
Though none of these complainants could agree to be quoted, they pointed fingers at the presidency as having ordered the substitution of names of subcommittee members.
One of the protesting APC chieftains who pleaded not to be named, told journalists that they were told that the presidency sent in about 50 names to be replaced from the original list.
Other people who were ready to fight the accreditation committee yesterday were APC staff members who said they were not carried along in the process leading to the national convention.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the inauguration of the subcommittees, the convention committee Chairman and Governor Jigawa State, Badaru, said there were suggestions from some members of his committee that the convention be held on June 23.
Badaru said: “It was suggested today (yesterday) that we should have the convention on June 23 but we will have to discuss it with the national secretariat to confirm the date.”
He also denied the media report that his committee was planning to spend about N6 billion on the forthcoming APC convention, saying: “We are raising it among the party members and they have started donating.
“I’m very sure it will be very far less than that. Tomorrow, we are getting all the budgets from all the sub-committees but I can assure you that it is far less. Knowing me and knowing what I stand for, you will know that it will be the cheapest convention ever.”