A group under the auspices of APC Youths Stakeholders Forum, have warned the present leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against breaching existing accord by not allowing party members to participate in delegates primaries.
The coordinator of the forum, Comrade Yunusa Yusuf, in a press briefing said that although there was provision for a consensus candidate in the constitution, it should be a true consensus whereby all the aspirants would sign a written document to show they agree with the consensus.
He stressed that all aspirants needed to agree to the consensus arrangement so that the party does not run foul of the electoral laws that were recently signed by President Muhammad Buhari.
According to the group, the party, in the spirit of justice, equity and fair play should allow all the aspirants for the position of the national chairmanship of the party to run for the position.
Yunusa, however, faulted the choice of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as consensus candidate for the national chairmanship position of the APC, adding it was time for him to rest from active politics considering his age and strength.
“We insist on a level playing ground for interested persons to contest party’s executive offices. So, we as APC members are basing our call on Article 20 (i) (a) of the APC Constitution, which gives room for the emergence of candidates through consensus with a provision that “a vote of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ should be called,” he said.
The group vehemently warned against a selection process that would amount to imposition, saying it could breed discontent and crisis in the party, and later lead to litigations.
“For us, the March 26 National Convention of the party is very sacrosanct and delegates should be allowed to carry membership right to elect and be elected as the national chairman following the agreed zoning arrangement, because many of them have been campaigning for the position, so they should not be robbed of their rights.
“It is no longer news that the party has suffered power tussle over the years, which has put some cracks in the party. But thank God, the party has come back strong and formidable again. We are advising that we should avoid anything that will make us go back to the old days of the leadership of Adams Oshiomhole.”
