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From Abel Leonard, Lafia
Former Nasarawa State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Chairman of the Conference of APC State Publicity Secretaries (CAPs), High Chief Otaru Douglas, has blamed the growing wave of resignations and defections in the party on what he described as the compromise of internal democracy and manipulation of party processes.
Douglas, who spoke in an interview yesterday with journalists in Lafia, said the controversial conduct of the recent APC primary election had created widespread dissatisfaction among party members and stakeholders across the state.
According to him, the burning of APC brooms in Lafia and other local government areas, as well as the defection of several foundation members, were direct consequences of perceived injustices during the primary election.
“The exercise negated democratic principles and violated the guidelines established by the National Working Committee of the party,” he said.
The former spokesman disclosed that he was among those who recently resigned from the APC, noting that he had long warned party leaders about developments capable of plunging the party into crisis.
He alleged that irregularities began during the e-membership registration exercise and continued through the ward and local government congresses, which he claimed were hijacked by influential figures within the party.
“Under the watch of the Governor, who is expected to be the leader of the party in the state, the process was abused. That abuse laid the foundation for the crisis we are witnessing today,” Douglas stated.
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He further claimed that his removal from office as State Publicity Secretary was politically motivated, insisting that he was punished for criticising the leadership style of the state chairman and raising concerns about the conduct of party affairs.
Douglas alleged that there were deliberate efforts to manipulate the process in favour of Senator Ahmed Wadada, adding that dissenting voices within the party were silenced instead of being heard.
The former APC chieftain warned that more resignations and defections could occur if President Bola Tinubu and the party’s National Working Committee failed to urgently intervene in the affairs of the party in Nasarawa State.
“In the coming days, the party should expect more resignations and defections if the President and the National Working Committee fail to intervene urgently,” he warned.
He dismissed suggestions that the defections were being sponsored by powerful political figures, maintaining that members were leaving voluntarily because of frustration over what they perceived as the commercialisation of party affairs and abuse of the electoral process.
Douglas also condemned the disqualification of some aspirants after they had purchased nomination forms and passed screening exercises, describing the development as unfair and morally indefensible.
“The strength of the APC lies in internal democracy and its ability to reflect the will of its members. If those principles are abandoned in Nasarawa State, the party risks losing both the confidence of its members and the trust of the electorate ahead of 2027,” he said.
He called on the APC National Working Committee to investigate allegations surrounding the primaries, ensure transparency in the handling of funds collected from aspirants, and embark on genuine reconciliation efforts to restore confidence among aggrieved party members.
