The All Progressives Congress has shown no signs of abating, even as the national reconciliation committee set up to resolve the crises in several states has failed to complete its work, effectively putting the national APC convention date of February 26 in jeopardy.
On Monday, the reconciliation committee led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, which was inaugurated on September 15, 2021, demanded an additional week to address pending petitions submitted by disgruntled members.
However, an APC governor confided in one of our correspondents that he and his colleagues would not support the convention being postponed, despite the panel’s demand for a one-week extension.
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The Adamu committee was supposed to resolve the crises caused by the ward, local government area and state congress in the country.
The Adamu-led committee was expected to submit its report on Monday, for the APC to adopt it on Tuesday, and then to inaugurate legitimate state executives on Thursday, according to the APC’s timetable.
On February 14, 2022, the party is expected to begin selling forms to all aspirants vying for national offices, with all accompanying documents due on or before February 19, 2022.
Subcommittees would be announced on February 19, 2022, with screening of all aspirants vying for national offices taking place between February 20 and 22, 2022, followed by screening appeals on February 23, 2022 to hear and resolve complaints arising from the screening exercise.
The accreditation of all statutory and elected delegates to the national convention will take place between February 24 and 25, 2022, ahead of the convention’s February 26 date.
However, due to the reconciliation’s failure to submit its full report, the party’s schedule of activities may have to be adjusted.
Senator Adamu, Chairman of the Reconciliation Committee, who stated that the committee was still receiving petitions, requested one more week to address the pending petitions.
“As of yesterday (Sunday), we had received 47 petitions, and you may be interested to know that people were waiting for us to submit their petitions even this morning,” he said.
We had promised Nigerians that we would do justice to everyone who had been wronged.
“Because we are acting as boy scouts, we had to come today to submit this interim.”
A good scout always obeys before complaining. As a result, we were asked to submit the report as of this morning.
We have turned in our interim report. There is still work to be done, as we stated when presenting the report. Reconciliation is an ongoing process.
And we cannot pretend that we have addressed every detail that has come before us, but by the time the final report is completed, we will be able to provide you with the actual report.”
We are still receiving petitions as of today. People are still flocking to see us, and we can’t, in all fairness, stop them.
Reconciliation is an ongoing process. Nobody will tell you that political conflicts are sometimes based on ego, and sometimes on perception; none of us have control over that. No one has.
So, while we cannot prevent them from bringing their petitions, the first ones we receive, we will do everything we can to recommend to the party.”
He explained that when the committee’s report was finally submitted, it would be up to the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC caretaker committee to impose sanctions on members who opposed reconciliation efforts.
Buni stated in his remarks that the party was well-positioned for victory in the upcoming elections.
The APC has 41 million members and claims to be Africa’s largest party.
Buni, who was represented by former Senate President Ken Nnamani, said the APC caretaker committee would study and implement the report to strengthen the party’s unity and strength.
“As you are aware, the party conducted a successful membership registration and revalidation and now proudly has over 41 million membership, making APC Africa’s largest political party and Nigeria’s leading party,” he said upon receiving the report.
With this numerical strength, the APC remains the party that can confidently win elections in all national elections with a landslide victory.
“The submission of this report by the national reconciliation committee, chaired by Abdullahi Adamu, comes at a critical juncture as we approach the National Convention and the general elections in 2023.”
As a result, the committee’s findings would contribute significantly to a successful convention and general election.
“Let me express our heartfelt gratitude to the committee for carrying out the task assigned to them with a high level of commitment and responsibility.”
You have painstakingly visited states where we have issues and addressed them directly.”
He stated that the party’s achievements in reconciling differences among stakeholders in Gombe, Ogun, Kwara, and many other states had justified the party’s faith in the committee members’ individual and collective capacities.
“I wish to assure you that the Caretaker Committee will carefully study the report and implement it in order to improve the party’s unity and strength,” he added.
Nonetheless, despite all of the accomplishments recorded by the party under my stewardship and the high-profile defections into the party, it is critical for the party to promote the philosophy of unity of purpose, pursuing national interests over personal interests, and a functional system of internal democracy in order to have a united, stable, and prosperous political party.”
“We have submitted our interim report,” Adamu said after submitting the committee report and fielding questions from journalists.
When asked if the panel would be able to deal with pending petitions in seven days, he stated that the committee would not prevent members from submitting petitions.
The government rules out postponing the convention.
However, one of the governors told reporters that the activities would continue as planned.
The governor, who requested anonymity, stated that the state executives would be inaugurated on Thursday regardless of whether the reconciliation report was ready or not.
“The governors have settled on February 26th, and the President has endorsed this date,” he said.
So, whether or not the reconciliation committee’s report is ready is none of my business, and I believe I speak for the majority of the governors.
Some people have booked flights to Abuja for the inauguration of state executives on Thursday.
