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We are in court – Tinubu group
By Ismail Mudashir (Abuja), Hameed Oyegbade (Osogbo), Raphael Ogbonnaiye (Ado-Ekiti) & Peter Moses (Abeokuta)
The camps of former governors Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and others have shunned the appeal panels constituted to address the crisis trailing the state congress of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Daily Trust reports.
The parallel congresses were organised in Kano, Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Osun, Plateau, Niger, Akwa Ibom and Enugu states, penultimate Saturday when the exercise was held.
The caretaker committee of the party, chaired by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, had days after the state congress constituted appeal panels to address crises trailing the exercise.
Schemings by top shots of the party, including governors, former governors, ministers, senators and other stalwarts to grab key party positions ahead of 2023 elections, have created fresh cracks in the ruling party.
In Osun State, the camp of the minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, under the auspices of The Osun Progressive, said lack of confidence in the appeal committee made them shun it. The camp had instituted legal action against the party.
A former commissioner for Information in the state, Mr Lani Baderinwa, who emerged as the factional state secretary during the parallel congress held by TOP, claimed that submitting petitions to the committee would amount to a waste of time because of its bias.
The camp of Shekarau in Kano, known as G-7, also shunned the appeal committee sent to the state.
Daily Trust reports that a group (G-7) led by former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau and some lawmakers held a parallel congress at Janguza area of the state which produced Ahmadu Haruna Danzago as state chairman.
Danzago said since the panel had earlier said it was sent to sit on the congress held at the Indoor stadium, its sitting did not relate to the Janguza congress.
He said no complaints emanated from the Janguza congress that produced him as the party’s state chairman, adding
In Ekiti, where a group promoting the presidential aspiration of the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), organised a parallel congress, the appeal committee said no petition was submitted.
Chairman of the five-member appeal panel and former Oyo State deputy governor, Chief Iyiola Oladokun, who addressed newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, said no petition was filed by any group in the state.
The Chairman of SWAGA in Ekiti, Senator Tony Adeniyi, said they decided not to file any petition because the body was in court challenging the delegates list used and the outcome of the ward and local government congresses.
Our correspondent in Abeokuta reports that the camp of former governor of Ogun State, Ibikun Amosun, which organised a parallel congress also ignored the appeal panel.
The two major factions battling for the soul of the state’s APC are led by Governor Dapo Abiodun and his predecessor, Amosun.
The five-man committee headed by a former House of Representatives member, Patrick Obahiagbon, sat between Tuesday and Wednesday in the state.
Obahiagbon told newsmen in that no petition was received within the two days of the committee’s siting.
Contacted, the chairman of the Amosun’s group, Derin Adebiyi, said the group lacks confidence in Obahiagbon led committee.
He said; “How on earth do you expect us to appear before such a person, a committee? It means we are not serious like them.
“How could somebody who was part of their congress, spoke extensively against us, against our camp, praising our opponent, yet just a week after, you came and say you are chairman of the appeal committee.”
