TheCable

So far, congresses of the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not take place in the federal capital territory (FCT), Bayelsa and Imo states.

The ruling party had fixed the congresses for Saturday, July 31 across the country.

TheCable learnt that the congresses are not taking in the FCT because of the forthcoming area council elections which are billed for November.

“The congresses are not holding in Abuja because the party does not want any confusion since the council elections are coming up,” a member of the party who is not authorised to speak on the issue said.

“Any trouble from the congresses could mar the party’s changes during the election.”

In Bayelsa, the congresses were postponed following an order of a high court in the state.

Some aggrieved members of the party in Bayelsa had asked the court to stop the congresses in the state.

Enekinimi Uzaka, the judge, ordered that the congresses in the state be suspended until a motion which is before the court is determined.

The judge fixed August 9 to hear the motion.

In Imo, the party suspended its congresses following a suit filed before a high court of the FCT by Okey Anyikwa, chairman of Ideato south LGA.

Anyikwa sought the injunction restraining the APC from going ahead with the congresses in Imo because of a judgment by the appeal court that upheld the tenure of the state executives elected in 2018.

The filing of court processes by party members is contrary to a national executive committee (NEC) directive of June 2020 which asked them to resolve issues using the party’s internal mechanisms.

On Friday, John Akpanudoedehe, national secretary of the APC caretaker committee, in line with NEC’s directive, issued a warning to those planning to hold parallel congresses or participate in any activity that puts the party in bad light.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR APC?

According to article 12:16 of the APC constitution, the ward executive committee is made up of 24 executives which has a fixed tenure of four years.

But the wards and other organs of the party have not been in place since December 2020 when NEC dissolved them.

The national working committee (NWC) led by Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the party, was dissolved by NEC in June 2020 in a bid to resolve a protracted leadership tussle.

A caretaker committee led by Mai Mala Buni, Yobe governor, and saddled with the responsibility of organising an elective national convention was put in place by the party’s NEC.

The congresses are one of the steps leading up to the proposed national convention of the APC.

If the party is unable to hold congresses in some states, caretaker committees will be appointed to oversee the wards until the issues are resolved.

The national convention can still be held if the party is able to form a quorum of one-third of its members, according to article 25 (iii) of the APC constitution.