The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has threatened to sanction any member or group that would organise parallel congresses.
The party said it would conduct its ward congresses nationwide on Saturday.
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Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe, in a statement on Friday, also ordered all members with pending litigations to withdraw them immediately.
Part of the statement reads: “All pending litigations instituted by members against the party should be withdrawn forthwith and going forward, no member should institute matters against the party, without exhausting the internal mechanism for conflict resolution, as enshrined in the party’s constitution.
“Consequent upon the above, party members should please note that: (i) All activities that may be carried out by persons to put the party and its officers in a bad light, before, during and after the congresses should be jettisoned.
“All activities or processes leading up to the congresses and thereafter which do not have the approval of the CECPC are exercises in futility.
“This is to say that: any purported; parallel congress, parallel party organ and or parallel party office, is, to say the least, a nullity. These divisive activities will not be tolerated.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the party shall deploy the full weight of the law as stipulated in section 21(D) of our party’s Constitution on anyone who perpetrates such unlawful Act(s) and also on their sponsors.
“All persons who are affected by Article 31 of our Constitution should apply for waivers as stipulated under sub. Section 3 of the said Article 31, this is also clearly spelt out in the ‘special provisions’ of our guidelines.”
There are internal wrangling in many state chapters of the party which are threatening the success of the ward and local governments congress slated for Saturday.
In Kwara State, the APC faction of the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said it has secured nomination forms for all its aspirants in Kwara State.There is another faction that is loyal to the governor of the State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Speaking with journalists in Ilorin during a press conference on Friday, the caretaker legal adviser of the party in the State, Barrister Ladi Mustapha, said the Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa-led faction is prepared for the Congresses slated for Saturday provided every other thing remains constant.
Also in Osun State, the faction loyal to the State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, is alleged to have seized all the nomination forms for the exercise in the State.
