John Adams, Minna
Following the suspension of the Niger state Chairman of All Progressive Congress (APC), Mallam Jibrin Iman, over financial misappropriation, the newly inaugurated caretaker committee has set up five different committees with a view to reposition the party in the state.
The committees which includes that of reconciliation, party membership, finance, publicity, contact and mobilization, were brought before the expanded State Executive Committee (SEC) meeting which was presided over by the state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello on Monday for ratification.
The State Executive Committee (SEC) in the meeting which was attended by all the National Assembly Members, state assembly members, local government Chairmen, Commissioners and other party stalwart, also resolved to rebuild and reposition the party for better performance ahead 2023.
The 20 Member reconciliatory committee is headed by General Mohammed Garba (RTD).
Speaking at the meeting, the Governor, who is the leader of the party, implored members to protect APC by paying deserved attention to affairs of the party in the state.
He said, “We have to make sure that we go by the constitution of the party, we have to rebuild the party. It is time for us to reunite, hold and protect the party. I call on you to pay attention to events happening in the party so that everybody would be carried along.”
He explained that the allegations of financial misappropriation leveled against the former Chairman, Engineer Jibrin Imam and two other officials of the party were too weighting to be brushed aside with a wave of the hand and that was what informed decision of the SEC to invoked the relevant provisions of the party constitution to remove him from office.
According to him, “it is an aberration for the former Chairman not to call for SEC and Caucus meetings of the party in almost four years from 2015 to 2019 against the party’s constitutional provision for such meetings quarterly. Something is fundamentally wrong. Let me also make it clear that there is no conflict between the former chairman and I as insinuated in some quarters. My position is that we must abide by the provisions of the constitution in running the affairs of the party.”
In a presentation by members of the 9th National Assembly from the state led by Senator Abdullahi Sabi representing Niger North, the federal lawmakers declared their loyalty to the Governor as the state leader of the party while calling for proper reconciliation among aggrieved members.
The lawmaker urged Governor Sani Bello to continue with the peace building process in the state chapter of the party as he is doing at the national level to avoid defection of aggrieved members, adding that, “we do not want to lose any member as a result of this issue”.
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Achieftain and founding father of the APC in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Magaji who moved the motion for the adoption of recommendations presented to the SEC by the Caretaker committee of the party chaired by Aliyu Saidu Kalgago, explained that alleged constitutional breaches by the former Chairman cannot be ignored.
He said that SEC as the highest decision making organ of the party in the state must apply Article 17(5) and (6) of the party constitution on leaders who are found wanting adding that “we cannot have unity without following due process as provided by our constitution. I therefore move for the adoption of the resolutions as presented by the caretaker committee to this meeting”.