Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

The Taraba State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC), on Tuesday, expressed confidence in the ability of the newly-elected national chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, to resolve the issues in the party and  reposition it for victory in the forthcoming general elections and beyond.

Spokesman of one of the factions of the party in the state, Mr. Aaron Artimas, said this in Jalingo while reacting to the purported inauguration of the state exco by the Alhassan-led group, on Saturday.

Artimas, who described the move by the other factional group, as a desperate life-saving attempt to cling to power at all cost at the expense of the wish of the popularity of Taraba APC supporters, urged the party faithful in the state to remain calm as justice would surely prevail.

Said he, “It has become imperative that I address our teeming supporters who feel very uncomfortable with the recent development within the party in the state.

“Let me assure you all that as it stands, the party has no exco in the state.

“The purported inauguration of state exco by the Minister of Women Affairs, Sen. Aisha Alhassan, is nothing but a desperate life-saving attempt to hold unto power by those who organised it.

“I can only assure you that it will not hold water because the era of impunity is over. We have the National Working Committee that is set to look into matters arising from the state congresses and Taraba is one of the major cases.

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“We met with the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole ,recently and he assured us that our complaints would be looked into and every issue amicably resolved.

“As party loyalists, we are ready to wait on the decision of the NWC. We have absolute confidence in the leadership of the party to do justice in the overall interest of the party and the state as a whole.

“So, you don’t have to be worried. The inauguration was a sham and was not even witnessed by any member official outside the state and violates all the guidelines for the inauguration of party officials and so it can never hold”, Artimas said.

The party chieftain said that Oshiomole’s precedence left no doubt in the mind of the people that he has the capacity, the goodwill and enough experience to steer the affairs of the party in the right direction.

Artimas said that the group “Understands the desperation of the minister of women affairs, whatever her reasons might be” but advised the players to understand that “Political power is based on popular support rather than coercion and desperate manipulation”, insisting that no one can single handedly hijack the party structure for their selfish interests.

Daily Sun recalls that two sets of state excos emerged at the last state Congresses of the party when the Unity Group held a separate congress from that of the Alhassan-led group that also produced its officials.

The Alhassan group had, last Saturday, inaugurated its state executive in Jalingo.