CRACK IN APC OVER LEADERSHIP

A crack has appeared within the leadership of the All Progressives Congress(APC) with a group, Conscience Nigeria, alleging that some leaders of doubtful characters have hijacked the party against the original philosophy behind its formations.
In a statement signed by two chieftains of the party,Chief Iheke Solomon National Chairmanand Chief Nnamdi Olebara, National Secretary, the group accused the interim leadership of the party under Chief Bisi Akande of failure “ to take advantage of the groundswell of popular support and sympathy of our people at the inception of APC five months ago.”
Reports indicated that the group was made up of some leaders from the legacy parties (ACN, ANPP, CPC) who were not happy with trends within the party. It is learnt that the emergence of the group is a prelude to the upcoming elective convention of the opposition coalition.
Condemning a culture of imposition within the party, the group said it had felt “the pulse of Nigerians and members of the various political parties alike, and has to come to the unassailable conviction that the culture of imposition by party leadership is totally unacceptable in any democracy.
“The promise of automatic ticket by any leader of our party to any party member, no matter how rich, powerful and highly placed, is totally unacceptable to CG . Election perfidy and the attendant misrule, abuse of power and corruption, either within the party or between parties in a general election is set in motion by such impositions and lack of democratic due process in the emergence of such candidates and leaders.
“APC shall observe and comply with every rule in the book on the choice and emergence of party leadership and candidates for all elections . A level playing ground shall be availed all who aspire positions of leadership and no one shall assume any position that is not provided for in our Constitution,” the group backed by top notchers of the opposition coalition noted.
The group lamented that “the initial momentum has dwindled and that letarghy and indifference or apathy has set in to take the place of great expectation,” adding that “the fortunes of the party are sliding downwards hopelessly and helplessly to a position worse than the position where the ‘legacy parties’ were before this consolidation.
“No definite and definitive leadership structure has emerged almost six months after this seemingly formidable and awesome mass movement was registered as a political party,” alleging that “the interim leadership of our party has been hijacked by some personalities with perceptible negative antecedent baggages that insult and offend the sensibilities of the mass of our people.”
Source: Tribune