Convention: SELF warns APC not to elect ex-govs under EFCC watch as chairman

A South-south Emerging Leaders’ Forum (SELF) has warned leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to elect some former governors and individuals in the race who have been indicted for financial crimes by anti-corruption agencies.

This is coming ahead of the national convention of the APC slated for February 26 in Abuja.

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In a statement released to newsmen Wednesday in Abuja, the national coordinator of SELF, Preye Wilson, warned that the ruling party does not need a national chairman that will be dragged in and out of the anti-corruption agencies’ offices to explain their dealings in the past.

Wilson said it was time for the ruling party to deviate from past experiences of electing former governors as national chairman.

While making reference to a media report titled: “APC faces integrity test, five chairmanship aspirants on EFCC radar,” the South-south forum warned that if any of the allegedly indicted chairmanship aspirants is elected as a national chairman, the party will be easily blackmailed by the opposition parties and other critics.

The South-south forum, however, urged the party delegates and leaders at all levels to consider a brilliant Senator Mohammed Sani Musa’s integrity, track records, firmness and simplicity among those parading themselves as chairmanship aspirants in APC.

“For us in the South-south Emerging Leaders’ Forum, we believe that the best way the ruling party can continue to discourage corruption as clearly stated in the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari is to elect a new national chairman that’s free of EFCC or ICPC cases.

“We also note that since the successful merger process that produced the ruling APC, former governors have had enough time.

“From our father former governor of Osun state Chief Bisi Akande, who was succeeded by another former governor of Edo State Chief John Odigie Oyegun and later to another former governor of Edo State Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, we feel it is time to try a Senator and a competent hand at that.

“We, therefore, appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President and Speaker, former and serving governors, and all the APC leaders at all levels to support the aspiration of Senator Mohammed Sani Musa from Niger State to emerge the next national chairman of APC.

“This, we believe that governing APC will not regret. We have taken our time to investigate all the aspirants, we have listened to them on various platforms and also read about their plans for the party and therefore come to a conclusion that the Senator representing Niger East is currently the best to lead an anti-corruption political party among other indices.”