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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
An All Progressives Congress (APC) support group, has accused Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of anti-party over the refusal of the upper chambers to clear the trio of Stella Oketete from Delta State, Ahmed El-Rufai from Kaduna State and Sani Danladi Taraba State.
The group led by Jator Abido, Prince Danielson Momoh, and Comrade Chinedu Livinus, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in what they called avoidable scandal.
Reacting to the Senate screening and clearing only 45 of the nominees, leaving out the trio in a statement made available in Abuja on Tuesday, the APC Support Group described the action of the Senate as unjust, wondering why the Senate President would choose to work against his party’s interest.
According to the statement; “it’s unfortunate for Akpabio to be implicated in actions that seem detrimental to the APC. During the election of President Tinubu, prominent figures like Governor El-Rufai and Oketete played pivotal roles in ensuring that Tinubu secured victories not only in in their wards but also states and the nation at large. They must not be treated with utmost disrespect like the Senate just did.”
The group equally wondered why there was no security report against El-Rufai and Oketete all through the electioneering campaigns, adding; “only for some overzealous security agencies working for enemies of the state to spring up imaginary security reports that are nothing but fictitious imaginations concocted to tarnish the image of the nominees and deprive them of enjoying their hardwork.
“The contributions of Oketete who worked as the Secretary of Election Monitoring Committee and that of El-Rufai who served as the Governor of Kaduna State during the elections demonstrated their commitment to the party’s success and they deserve to be rewarded.”
“Akpabio’s stance in the screening of ministers shows that he is not a true partyman and a clear indication that he has a hidden agenda behind his recent actions. It’s obvious he has an evil agenda which is potentially harming the unity and progress of the APC”, the statement added.
The group listed some of El-Rufai’s contributions which they described “as invaluable, adding that he stood steadfast in various challenges including a showdown with the former president over the introduction of new naira notes, and even confronting notable party figures like former Chairman Abdullahi Adamu and ex-Senate President Ahmed Lawan in the interest of the nation”.
The group however appealed to the President and all relevant stakeholders to call Akpabio to order, emphasising the importance of maintaining party cohesion and addressing any internal conflicts that may hinder the APC’s overall progress.
