From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, and former member of Ken Nnamani Presidential Committee for the Review of the Constitution and Electoral Review, Utum Eteng, Esq, has raised the alarm over fresh internal crisis in the party ahead of pending state congresses.
Governor Ben Ayade, who defected to APC, on June 20, 2021, on Ayade on Wednesday, July 7, 2021, had a stakeholders meeting where they agreed for a consensus for all elective party officers from ward to state levels to ensure a rancor-free congress.
But a few days after the meeting, Daily Sun checks revealed that both old and new members are locked in battle for the control of party structures as various factions have come up with their lists of ward and chapter executive Committee members.
Speaking with Daily Sun on the activities of some stakeholders that could derail Ayade’s repostion plan, Utum, a member of Hydropower Producing Development Area Commission, HYPPADEC, said reports from party wards and chapters have shown that various ward lists are emanating from different factions.
Acknowledging that there is bound to be conflicts in party politics especially with mass defection of PDP members to APC recently, he maitained that if not properly managed it can escalate and lead to more factionalisation within the party.
He said: “I have seen the old gladiators calling meetings at wards to cause disharmony among party faithful ahead of the congress. These gladiators for over one year have been promoting diversions right from Yakurr chapter and it has spread to other 17 local government chapters.
“Some party bigwigs have risen again and going about promising people positions in the party ward and chapter executives. This would certainly ignite fresh crisis. I advise all factions to give peace a chance and allow Governor Ben Ayade to reposition the party to an election-winning party because we have been we have been in the cooler for a very long time.
“I knew from the beginning that the divergent tendencies of the old APC members would of change. But Ayade should not relent his coming into APC is a divine intervention. Let him use the powers bestowed on him to set up party structures from ward to state. Anybody who doesn’t want it should quit,” he stated.
He said APC constitution guarantees new entrants into the party equal status with the old members once they are granted waivers, adding that in the absence of elected party structures from ward to state levels the new members are entitled to take part in the sharing of the positions to enable the party grow and win election in 2023.
He called on all stakeholders to queue Ayade being the leader of the party to reorganise the party holistically as the Governor has demonstrated that he is a democrat by opting for a consensus arrangement.