The Interview Editors
The deputy national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lawal Shuaibu, has warned that the coming governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states may go the same as last year’s election in Zamfara, because Adam’s Oshiomhole, the APC chairman is repeating the same mistakes.
Shuaibu in a statement on Wednesday said the party was now subject to arbitrary administration without dictates of the law.
He called on party leaders to make an intervention to save the party from collapse.
He said, “There is already absence of transparency in the way governorship primaries are being planned in Edo and Ondo states.
“The regulations issued that will guide the processes are already in violation of Article 20 (v) on page 76 of the APC constitution as amended where only the National Executive Committee is the only organ that SHALL approve such guidelines and regulations which includes the mode of nominating our candidates. I am crying for the APC inside me! Zamfara, here we come again.”
The deputy chairman said all the issues he had raised in a similar letter last year had come to pass.
“The entire legal framework governing the party administration in Nigeria today, the Nigerian constitution, the party constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC regulations and guidelines are more honoured by the party in breaches than obedience.
“To buttress my above assertion, the following few examples will drive the point home. By (Article 9.1(ii) and 9.4 (i) of the APC Constitution as amended, pages 6 and 8) every member will be registered at his ward when his or her name is entered in the register by the Ward Executives.
“My understanding of this provision is that power in the party is exercised bottom up! What this means is that every member of the party is answerable to his constituency. Being a party member therefore is a constitutional issue embedded in the membership register.
“Also, the constitution of the party stipulates a mandatory meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) every three months (Article 25 B (i) of the APC constitution as amended.). This regular meeting is not only targeted at keeping the members abreast of developments, but ensuring collective responsibility of decision taken by the combined effect of the above provision and Article 18 of the APC Constitution as amended).
“NEC is the main decision-making organ after the convention, and shall meet every three months. The power to set up standing or ad-hoc committees of the party is vested in the same NEC,” Shuaib stated.
Oshiomhole, he added, lacked the powers to single handedly constitute both the screening committees for the governorship and senatorial elections, as well as the final appeals committee because the constitutional provisions of the party puts that power in NEC.
Shuaibu noted that Oshiomhole had appointed himself chairman of both committees.
According to him the refusal to convene NEC to perform its role that has led the party to the comatose state it is now. “My fear is that it is being repeated now for Ondo and Edo,” he said.
The majority of the members of the party, he said, “are already perplexed, disillusioned and some even weighing their options. A stitch in time, I believe, saves nine!”
The deputy chairman said, that Article 2 of the APC Constitution, provides that, “subject to the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and any other laws for the time being in force in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the provisions of this constitution SHALL be SUPREME PROVIDED that where any rule, regulation or any other enactment shall, to the extent of its inconsistency, be null and void and of no effect whatsoever.
This document leaves no room for any form of aberration or brigandage.”
