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July 5, 2018
ABUJA — Affirming incompetence on the part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, even beyond that of the preceding Goodluck Jonathan government and disorder and illegalities in the ruling party, elements in the new Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP bloc, in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday broke away and announced formation of a new political organization which they called the Reformed All Progressives Congress, R-APC. National Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (M), receiving the Handover Note from his predecessor Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, at the Party’s Secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday (26/6/18). With them is the party’s National Secretary, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni. The dissenters, who proclaimed a new National Executive Committee, NEC, and chairmen for state chapters of the R-APC, declared the new APC national executive elected penultimate weekend illegal, upon violations of the party’s constitution.
The chairman of the R-APC, who proclaimed the development at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, was ironically, Engr. Buba Galadima, the erstwhile secretary of The Buhari Organisation, TBO, which was until about a five years ago, the think-tank of Buhari’s political machine. Remarkably, the chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was as at press time buried in talks with Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and members of the APC Senate caucus. APC spokesman, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, last night told Vanguard that the party had heard the report and was studying the development. “We have reports of a group who purportedly described themselves as a faction of our party. We will be able to give our reaction as soon as we get the full details and have the opportunity to review it,” Abdullahi told Vanguard yesterday. We’re APC’s roots, says Galadima Galadima said that as men of courage, integrity and goodwill, the R-APC had to take actions in order to save Nigeria from the current slide, bloodletting, insecurity, nepotism, and dictatorship of the current administration, “if not we will wake up one day and discover that there is no more Nigeria.” The Chairman said that the R-APC was the root of APC and therefore the authentic APC and that “anyone who disputes it should go to court.”
Engr. Galadima described himself as “a founding member of the CPC, one of the legacy parties that formed the APC, in alliance with nPDP and a portion of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); until now a member of the national caucus and a member of the yet to meet Board of Trustees (of APC) three years after.” The chairman said that the Buhari government has disappointed Nigerians as it had no focus, and has failed to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people. Rather, it had failed to protect innocent Nigerians from killers while elevating nepotism to unacceptable heights. His words: “We are sad to report that after more than three years of governance, our hopes have been betrayed, our expectations completely dashed. The APC has run a rudderless, inept and incompetent government that has failed to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people. “It has rather imposed dictatorship, impunity, abuse of power, complete abdication of constitutional and statutory responsibilities, infidelity to the rule of law and constitutionalism. It has failed to ensure the security and welfare of our people and elevated nepotism to unacceptable height. “The APC has failed to deliver on its key promises to the nation. There is no evidence of any political will to reverse the decline of our party, while leaders who have created these circumstances continue to behave as if Nigerians owe our party votes as a matter of right. “ The APC government, has been a monumental disaster, even worse than the government it replaced. The political party that was a vehicle for enthroning the government was rendered powerless by manipulations and complete lack of due process in its operations.” Unacceptable national congress “The last straw, was the Congresses and Convention of the APC held recently. The Congresses were intensely disputed as it was conducted with impunity, total disregard for due process, disregard for the party Constitution and naked display of power and practices that have no place in a party we all worked the very hard to put in place. “There are countless cases in courts all over the country challenging the legality of congresses and even the National Convention itself.
It is very likely that the judicial decisions on these cases will result in massive chaos, confusion and uncertainties. The fate of a party in this state with a few months to the elections is best left to the imagination, but it is not a fate we believe our millions of members should be abandoned to. “There were parallel congresses in 24 States namely: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto and Zamfara. “These congresses in Wards, Local Government Areas and States all over the federation produced different sets of delegates. We therefore had an unfortunate situation where the party has been seriously factionalised and divided in not just 24 States but the 36 States and Abuja FCT. “The so-called National Convention of the APC was even worse. The National Convention of the party was ridiculed with constitutional infirmities that were so glaring and obvious that no fair-minded person can claim that a legitimate and lawful executive emerged from that process. The Chairman of the organising Committee, Jigawa State Governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, declared 18 seats unopposed and uncontested, since only one valid candidate stood at the end of the grossly manipulated nomination exercise for each of the offices. He therefore proceeded to declare them duly elected in flagrant abuse and violence to the Constitution of the APC.” “Indeed, Article 20 of the APC Constitution is very clear and explicit. It envisages a situation where if at the close of nomination, only one person is nominated, the Convention must vote “Yes” or “No”, for each candidate before he is declared duly elected. “We all witnessed on live television and at the venue, Eagles Square Abuja, that the Convention Chairman, only put the “Yes” question to all the delegates, using words to the effect: Do you affirm? Do you agree? There was no opportunity whatsoever given to the delegates to say whether they are voting “No” for any candidate as the “No” question was never put to them. “It may well be that it the convention Chairman put the “No” Question, the voice vote for the “Nays”, may have been more.
We will never know, since it was never done, contrary to the express provisions of the APC Constitution. It is therefore unquestionably clear that the 18 officers of APC that were “Elected” through this process could not have been duly elected.” The R-APC leader insisted that the unconstitutionality of the process affected Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, National Chairman, Mai Mala Buni, National Secretary; Alhaji Ibrahim Masari, National Welfare Secretary and all others said to be unopposed at the convention. Pre-convention grouses He said further, “Even before these illegal exercises that have alienated millions of members, there has been widespread disenchantment with the manner the party has been run, and the conduct and performance of our governments. “The nPDP, a group that has made a major contribution to the emergence of the APC administration has made strenuous efforts to invite attention to inequities, injustice and poor management in our party without any success. “The nPDP had shown good faith and commitment to the party, but it has been rewarded with indifference and even contempt. It is obvious that the leadership of the APC has decided to shut out members of the APC, as well as other members who have raised genuine grievances and a desire to improve the responsiveness of the APC to the desire of members for a party founded on democratic principles. “Under the circumstances, patriotic elements and most of the original founders of the APC have found themselves in the opposing side of this charade. Most of the delegates who bought and paid for forms for the congresses and convention and were elected as delegates have come together to take control and give legitimacy to APC to be now known as and called REFORMED-APC (R-APC). “We call on all Nigerians, not to despair as a rescue plan is in the works and will be unfolded soon. “The R-APC includes all the progressive forces in APC, including most of the leading members of the defunct nPDP, CPC, ANPP, ACN and others. “The R-APC, will work with like-minded political parties and groups to offer Nigeria qualitative good governance in 2019. Nigeria faces an existential threat arising from three years of near destruction of this country and the exacerbation of our ethnic, religious and divisive cleavages.
We will in concert with others offer real change to Nigeria. Not fake change. It is clear that our party needs a leadership that will live by its founding ideals.We have therefore decided to legitimately lead those members to work to rebuild our nation more firmly on genuine democratic principles, to enshrine good governance and restore the faith of Nigerians in the possibility of the existence of a prosperous, secure and peaceful nation “The R-APC as constituted have officers in all the wards, 774 Local Governments, and all the 36 States of the Federation including the FCT. “The R-APC also has a National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee and other organs of the Party are properly constituted and functional.” Some of the National Officers of the R-APC include:
Yobe State – Buba Galadima (National Chairman)
Kano State – Bala Muhd Gwagwarwa (National Deputy Chairman, North).
Abia State – Chief Theo Nkire (National Deputy Chairman, South East)
Ondo State – Hon. Eko Olakunle (National Vice Chairman South West)
Kaduna State – Hon. Hussaini Dambo (National Vice Chairman North West);
Kogi State – Mahmud Mohammed Abubakar – (National Vice Chairman, North Central); Benue State – Hon. Godwin Akaan (Deputy National Secretary);
Oyo State -Dr Fatai Atanda (National Secretary)
Edo State – Kazeem Afegbua (National Publicity Secretary).
Adamawa State – Daniel Bwala (Financial Secretary)
Jigawa State – Abba Malami Taura (Deputy National Auditor)
Kwara State – Hon. Kayode Omotosho (National Treasurer)
Anambra State -Barr. Nicholas Asuzu (National Youth Leader)
Rivers State – Barr. Baride A. Gwezia (Legal Adviser)
Katsina State – Haj Aisha Kaita (National Woman Leader)
Bauchi State – Mrs. Fatima Adamu (National Welfare Secretary)
Ogun State -Alh. Isiak Akinwumi (Deputy Financial Secretary)
Zamfara State – Alh. Bashir Mai Mashi (Deputy National Treasurer)
Abuja – Hauwa Adam Mamuda (Deputy Welfare Secretary)
Sokoto State – Hon. Shuaibu Gwanda Gobir (Deputy National Publicity Secretary)
Katsina State – M. T. Liman (National Organising Secretary)
Niger State – Dr Theo Sheshi ( Deputy National Organising Secretary.
Some of the State Chairmen include:
Adamawa – Dimas Ezra Anambra – Sir Toby Chukwudi Okwuaya
Bauchi – Sani Shehu
Benue – Noah Mark Dickson
Jigawa – Hon. Nasiru Garba Dantiye
Kaduna – Col. Gora (Rtd)
Kano – Umar Haruna Doguwa
Katsina – Sada Ilu Kogi – Alh. Hadi Ametuo
Ogun – Alhaji Adeleke Adewale Taofeek
Ondo – Hon. Otetubi Idowu
Oyo – Alh. Ali Alimi Isiaka Adisa
Yobe – Mohammed Burgo Dalah Zamfara – Alh. Nasiru Yakubu
Niger – Hon. Samaila Yusuf Kontagora
FCT – Adaji Usman
Meanwhile, Comrade Oshiomhole was last night locked in a meeting with APC senators in a session that was phrased as a thank you visit following his election as national chairman. The APC National Chairman who distanced the party’s national executive from utterances made by some party chieftains that any aggrieved party man can go to anywhere, said, “We do not subscribe with the position of people within the party saying anybody can go anywhere.” He explained to the APC senators that the purpose of the NWC visit to them, was for heart-to-heart conversation towards finding solutions to whatever problems they have with the party at whatever levels. According to him, regardless of the magnitude of crises that may be afflicting the party at whatever level, the three ingredients of commitment for justice , fairness and courage to stand by the truth , the new leadership is operating with, the party will come out stronger from such crises . In his response, the Senate President, Bukola Saraki who noted that the submissions made by the National Chairman were very promising as regards moving the party forward, said, “Party politics and democracy itself is inherent with conflicts based disagreement requiring the form of rapprochement you have brought.” Vanguard.