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From John Adams, Minna
A major crisis is brewing in the Niger State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) following the resignation of the Chairman, Hon. Haliru Zakari Jikantoro on Friday during the State Working Committee (SWC) and stakeholders meeting of the party which lasted less than an hour.
The APC Chairman in a press conference at the party secretariat on Friday said the reason for his resignation was personal and aimed at moving the party forward.
The embattled Chairman further stated that his decision to quit his position was based on personal conviction after wide consultations with relevant stakeholders for the good of the APC in Niger state, promising to give his best to the party at any given time his services is required.
The former chairman pointed out that he had no issues with the party executives or State Working Committee of the party in the state, noting that he believed his exit will add value to the party in the state.
Although the embattled Chairman claimed that his decision to resign his position was voluntary, our correspondent however gathered from a reliable source close to the party that the State Working Committee was given one week to resign their position or be forced out as was the case at the national level.
“All of them are on their way out because “the power that be” has asked them to quietly resign their position to avoid any embarrassment, and I can confirm to you that they will all go. The will resign one after the other in the next one week, “our source added.
It could be recalled that the travil of the Chairman began shortly after the 2023 Presidential election when he was suspended by his ward party executives, accusing him of anti-party activities.
The Chairman was suspended from the party by the Kashini Ward Executives of the party in Agwara local government area of the state, accusing him of violating and disregarding the constitution of the party.
The party Ward Executive in a letter of suspension dated March 2nd, 2023, signed by the 21 member executives and addressed to Agwara local government chairman of the party, a copy which was made available to newsmen, said the chairman was suspended for violating and flagrant disregards to the party constitution.
The party in the letter of suspension equally accused the Chairman of involving himself in act which the party said was capable of undermined the success of the party during the just concluded Presidential and the National Assembly elections in the state.
The party Ward Executives further accused the embattled chairman of engaging in anti-party activities during the Presidential election, accusing him of secretly working for the Presidential candidate of the opposition People Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
According to the party, “it is on record that Hon. Haliru Zakeri Jikantoro has been indulging in anti-party activities by canvassing votes for the People Democratic Party for the Presidential and National Assembly elections”.
The former Chairman was appointed in July 2020 after the controversial removal of his predecessor, Engineer Jibrin Iman who was accused of embezzling the party funds running to hundreds of millions of naira.
The Zonal chairman of the party from zone C, Alhaji Aminu Bobbi has been nominated as the acting chairman of the party in the state pending the election of a substantive Chairman.
In an interview, the acting Chairman said he will reposition the party for better while on an acting capacity before a special Congress will be held to usher in a substantive chairman.
Reacting to this development, the Special Adviser to the governor on political matters, Alhaji Mohammed Nma Kolo said there is no friction in the party, noting that Jikantoro announced his decision during a meeting yesterday with the governor, SSG, the Speaker and himself who insisted despite persuasion before Governor Mohammed Umar Bago accepted his resignation.
He explained that the party is given ways to groom younger ones to take charge of the state APC hence a generational shift just as it’s expected to see an improvement in all spheres of the party because the current chairman is young, cool hearted, closed to the masses, listening ears and down to earth to pilot the affairs of the party to greater height.
