As the days of the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) fast approaching, protest and division have taken over the committee, thereby escalating the crisis in the party.
It was gathered that several names initially published by the convention committee have been removed on the alleged order from the Presidency as the development on Wednesday left some of the members disappointed in Abuja during the inauguration of sub-committees by the Jigawa a State Governor Abubakar Badaru.
Some of the protesters who said their names were initially on the published lists were seen publicly protesting, as they accused the presidency of allegedly replacing about 50 names from the original list. Some of the names removed from the list were said to be members of the aggrieved New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) in the APC.
Other people who were ready to fight the accreditation committee yesterday were the APC members of staff who said they were not carried along in the process leading to the national convention. Speaking with newsmen shortly after the inauguration, the convention committee chairman and Governor of Jigawa state, Abubakar Badaru, confirmed to journalists that some of his committee members suggested that the convention should be held on June 23.
“It was suggested today that we should have the convention on 23rd of June but we will have to discuss it with the National secretariat to confirm the date”.
Badaru also denied the media report that his committee was planning to spend about N6billion on the forthcoming exercise, adding that “we are raising it among the party members and they have started donating.
He said, “I’m sure it’s very far less than that. Tomorrow, we are getting all the budgets from all the sub-committees but I can assure you that it’s far less.
Knowing me and knowing what I stand for, you will know that it will be the cheapest convention ever”.
When asked whether he was worried about the recent parallel congresses witnessed in many states of the federation, the governor said: “I’m sure they will be resolved before the time of the convention. Most of those issues will be resolved in due course”.
