APC crisis: Shekarau, Abe unveil excos in Kano, Rivers

A former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday unveiled the chairman of his faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmadu Haruna Danzago, at a public function in the state.

Daily Trust reports that Danzago had on Saturday emerged as the chairman of Shekarau’s G-7 faction of the party and Abdullahi Abbas was named as chairman of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s wing at the end of parallel congresses held at different locations in the state.

The congress, which saw Abbas emerge as chairman was held at the Sani Abacha Indoor Sports Hall while the one that produced Danzago as chairman was held in the Janguza area of the state after their initial venue, Sani Abacha Youth Centre was sealed by security agents.

At the Sani Abacha Indoor Sports Hall, Barrister Auwal Abdullahi from Plateau State led the team of the congress committee from the party’s national secretariat, while at Janguza, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello, from Kaduna State introduced himself as the chairman of the Kano State congress committee sent from the party’s national secretariat.

Also, while representatives of INEC were acknowledged at the congress that produced Abbas as chairman, no one was acknowledged as representing INEC at the congress that produced Danzago. The two camps have however been attributing legitimacy to their congresses.

The national secretariat of the party knocked out the aggrieved persons when it stated that the parallel congresses were futile exercises and strange to the party, a development that gave serving governors the upper hand.

Danzago was seen at an empowerment programme facilitated by Shekarau, senator representing Kano Central, confirming reports that he has the full backing of the former governor.

In his speech at the programme, Shekarau recognised Danzago as “ the newly elected chairman of APC in Kano” to the cheers of the crowd.

Asked after the event to react to the position of the national secretariat of the party on parallel congresses conducted in several states including Kano, Shekarau said “we have reported to the headquarters what transpired in Kano, so allow the headquarters to decide.”

Meanwhile, a parallel leadership of the party has emerged in Rivers State with Golden Chioma who belongs to the Senator Magnus Abe-led faction as chairman.

The new leadership was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Freedom House, a campaign secretariat set up by Senator Abe located in the GRA, Port Harcourt in 2019.

Speaking to journalists shortly after the inauguration, the chairman said the APC will govern Rivers State in 2023 and called on Governor Nyesom Wike to start preparing his handover note