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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Less than one month to the expiration of the tenure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, the Committee has revealed that it will consult party’s major stakeholders like President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Progressive Governors among others to know the next line of action over its future.
National Secretary of the party James Akpanudoedehe, who made the disclosure while fieding questions from newsmen at the party’s secretariat, however dismissed the possibility of any implosion within the party due to plans to extend the tenure again.
Responding to the issues discussed at the emergency Caretaker Committee meeting held on Monday, he said that APC Convention is the least of the problems confronting the country as insecurity, separatist and ethnic agitations should be of more concerns.
‘We are aware that party members are desiring to hear from the Caretaker Committee over our future. I can tell you that we are looking into so many things and I can tell you that we have to consult extensively before doing anything.
‘We have major stakeholders like Mr President, Vice President, Governors among others. We have to consult so that when we are coming out there will be no dissenting voice. We are still at the level of consultations.
‘We have lots of problems in the country, not only the national Congress of the party. We have serious security issues like the agitations going on the zones and the separatist movements in the South East and South-South.
‘We are very conscious of Nigeria as a country not only the Congresses. We are mindful that our party must be strong. We just welcome the governor of Cross River State and assuming it is Congress, how would we have accommodated him.
‘Be rest assured however that the overall interest of the party is paramount to us. We have taken lots of things into consideration to ensure that the party is peaceful and united,’ he said.
On the possibility of crisis if there is no concrete decision over the future of Caretaker Committee by June, he said: ‘I want to assure that there will be no crisis in our party in June. Convention can be done in June and congresses can start and end in June.
‘But it all depends on what the leaders of this party agreed upon. This committee is honest and we have never lied to Nigerians. We can always fight and resolve at family level,’ he assured.
On update on the party’s registration and revalidation exercise across the country, the party’s chief scribe disclosed that no fewer than 21 states have submitted their reports to the committee.
‘I can inform you authoritatively that registration has ended and we are collating from the committee and over 21 states have submitted. Part of the delay us that some of them are trying to tidy up the report before submitting to the committee,’ he revealed.
He also commented on the emergency meeting, noting: ‘The meeting was an emergency one item agenda meeting to ratify the APC FCT Area Council primaries but we had to step down the item because of the additional information we needed.
‘We have said that if you are to disqualify anybody, the Caretaker Committee must see clearly why it should be so. We are also mindful of the deadline from INEC and have given them time with which to supply us the documents we requested from them,’ he quipped.
