By Marie-Therese Nanlong
A splinter group has emerged with a parallel executive for the All Progressives Congress in Plateau State
following disagreement over consensus candidates during last Saturday’s State congress of the party.
It would be recalled that the earlier exercise had produced the immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Rufus Bature as the Chairman and other exco members were affirmed based on ‘consensus’ but some aggrieved members who had purchased forms to contest the different positions rejected the arrangement saying they were shortchanged.
They maintained they paid for forms based on the party’s guidelines and were waiting for the Congress committee to issue forms and screen them for the election but nothing like that happened so the aggrieved persons and their supporters opened a parallel State APC Secretariat at Kalwa House, Jos when the committee refused to issue them forms.
The factional group in a press statement issued on Tuesday by its Secretary, Hon. Nanman Zhattau said the Rufus Bature group has no evidence of purchase of forms that elapsed on Monday 11 October, 2021 to contest the state congress.
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His word, “Contrary to the party’s guidelines for the conduct of the ward and Local Government congresses, what happened during the state congresses in Plateau State was worst than what was witnessed at the local government congresses. The purported state congresses which was said to have been conducted at Crest Hotel was null and void because there was no any form of screening neither identification of people who bought forms, but just to say that they have conducted congresses and acclaimed winners have emerged.
“The acclaimed winners cannot show evidence of their bank tellers and when they paid their money for the various positions, because the last date for the purchase of nomination forms ended on Monday 11 October, 2021.”
Zhattau lamented the ransacking of their secretariat by security personnel, noting, “It will interest you to know that, this morning we have been informed that security operatives were seen at our party Secretariat removing flags of our party at Kalwa House. In order to restore peace, unity in our party, security operatives should stay clear of political crisis, because policemen are peacemakers and not to be bought by politicians to intimidate others just like what we witness today in our secretariat.”
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He stated that cabals in the corridors of power have prevented them access to Governor Simon Lalong, stressing, “The cabals have succeeded in making the Governor to disregard any advise by prominent politicians in the state because of their 2023 Governorship ambition.”
However, the outgoing State APC Secretary, Bashir Sati refuted the claim of factions saying there is no splinter group in the APC as it was made clear to all party members that the Congresses would be on consensus.
According to him, “If actually there is a splinter group, they should have known that officials from the National Secretariat are coming, they should know where they are to contact them for all the necessary information. We know from the ward congresses, we started with consensus and we have been working on consensus. It is surprising for some people to say they are not aware of the consensus.
“Any body who is claiming ignorant of consensus arrangement, I think he is not a member of the APC. They said their executive have emerge, who monitored their election, where did they conduct the election. I have been the man communicating right from day one to the last date. As Secretary of the party, I have been the one communicating with INEC, Police and I have been the one communicating with everywhere, who have they been communicating with?”
