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ADHERE TO
PARTY CONSTITUTION OR WE SEEK ALTERNATIVE PLATFORM – APC STAKEHOLDERS WARN
LALONG
By Joseph A.
Adudu
Ahead of the 14 May, 2018 national
convention of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), some members of the party
in Plateau State have expressed disenchantment over Governor Simon Bako
Lalong’s alleged decision to jettison the requirement of the constitution of
the Federal Republic of Nigeria and that of the APC to impose candidates of his
choice as state EXCO, a development they have described as anti people which
may eventually spell doom for the party and democracy if not nip in the bud.
Arising from an emergency meeting held in Kalwa House Jos yesterday, all those
that spoke with journalists observed that what governor Lalong intended doing would
amount to disrespect of the feeling of majority of members of the party. Hon
Lachang Laven, an APC stakeholder from Langtang North said that any society or
association that jettison fairness and justice is doom. He recalled with
nostalgia the struggle they went through culminating to the coalition that
eventually formed the APC only to be hijacked by undemocratic elements who were
ill advising the governor.
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| Gov Lalong |
Also speaking, Hon Koproda Moses another APC
stakeholder from Pankshin LGA the meeting yesterday was group that was out to
fight injustice through affirmation. “It is unfortunate that our party leader
who was a chairman of the committee inaugurated and given the responsibility to
come out with an acceptable modalities for the convention of the party in which
he recommends that the congress should be conducted from ward to national
level, ironically, is doing a different thing in our state and it is the reason
why the people are aggrieved. How can you be preaching against adultery elsewhere
and yet you are practicing it in your own house? What kind of gospel is that?
So as far as were concerned, it is a breach of the constitution of the federal
Republic of Nigeria and that of the APC and the resolution of the National Working
Committee in which governor Lalong chaired.
“So lets everybody be given equal
opportunity so they can exercise their franchise within the party as stipulated
in the party’s constitution. From all indication, it’s like Lalong is
comfortable with the status quo and wants to remain. However, many people are
against that move so far. The fact is that in the last three years, the conduct
of the party activity has not been good enough because it has been like a sole
proprietorship business, where everything begins and ends up with the state
party chairman.
“We are now agitated for a change, a paradigm
shift from what we have now. Look at the turn out of the people for this
meeting. Let there be a change, lets give the party a new lease of life. But if
they feel they want to maintain the status quo, there are so many other
platform that we can utilize, but we don’t want the party to die, we want the party
to move forward. But if they insist on maintaining the status quo, definitely
people would protest.
"Our meeting today is not a protest
yet, but just to send a warming signal to ward, state and to national to
intervene in the Plateau situation. Many people are desirous that they open the
door to enable them exercise their franchise and maximize their gifts within
the party and ensure its formidability. But our concern is that those who are
not grass rooted are the ones who are fearful of the congress. They don’t want
the congress to hold, because, when you go down to the grass root their
political savour is lost; they have lost their political saltiness and because
of that, they don’t want the congress to hold".
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| Hon Latep Dabang APC Chairman, Plateau state |
The convener of the meeting
Chief Amos Gizo said he did that out of pressure from concerned stakeholders
and had to succumbed to save the party from internal wrangling which could lead
to disarray. “It is for this reason that I made it categorically clear that
everybody is at liberty to express their opinion but no insults, no attacks on
personality. I told them that we are not here to insult anybody but to find
solution.
"Consequently, the discussions was
robust because everybody was given opportunity to talk and in the end, a
resolution was arrived at that every other person must be given opportunity to
contest during the congresses”.
However, responding, the APC Chairman, Plateau
State Hon. Latep Dabang said those that attended the meeting were not APC
members. According to him, Amos Gizo who chaired the meeting is a PDP member.
“How can a PDP member chair a meeting of APC members, you are a journalist, does
that make sense to you? If you want, I can make available to you the list of
APC members in the 17 Local governments when i return to Jos” He said.
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