Following the conduct of parallel ward congresses in the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party on Sunday, August 1, vowed to punish members who acted contrary to its directive.
Recall that the leadership of the APC had on Friday, July 30, read a Riot Act to all its chieftains in all the states across the country against the conduct of parallel congresses in the states.
Senator John Akpanudoedehe, the secretary of the APC caretaker committee, made the disclosure during an interview with The Punch in Abuja.
According to Akpanudoedehe, the APC, in line with Section 21(D) of its constitution, would punish members who flouted its directive and resorted to self-help. While noting that the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led committee had zero tolerance to indiscipline, Akpanudoedehe warned that the party would impose sanctions on party members who organised parallel congresses.
Meanwhile, the Chairman APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and Yobe state Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, has congratulated members of the party over the successful and peaceful conduct of the ward Congress across the country.
The Chairman said reports from across the states reaching his office indicate that the Congress was generally successful and peaceful.
“I wish to congratulate us all for the peaceful and successful conduct of the ward Congress.
“The massive turn out of members in the Congress reflects the success of the membership registration and revalidation exercise.
“It also reflects the unity and confidence of our members in the repositioned APC and its leadership” Buni said.
“I want to assure our members that their choice of leaders at the ward Congress and indeed, subsequent congresses will be respected.
“The party has put some measures in place to check and rectify anomalies arising from the Congress.
‘We are committed to building a strong internal democracy to give the party a strong leadership that are genuinely elected by the people” he said.
According to the chairman, the congresses will give ownership of the party to the members through the bottom-top approach.
Gov. Buni urged aggrieved parties to seek redress through constituted channels in the party.
“We will be fair, just and transparent in handling every complaint for justice to be done and the people’s choice respected” he said.
The Chairman assured that the Caretaker Committee will review the just concluded ward Congress to improve on the forthcoming local and state government congresses.
