Leaders and stakeholders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State have resolved not to accommodate any act of imposition ahead of the forthcoming party’s council congress and 2023 General Elections.
They, however, resolved to work together as a team to avoid unnecessary rancour and division which they said brought the Peoples Democratuc Party (PDP)-led administration of Governor Umar Fintiri to power in the state in 2019.
It would be recalled that the APC Congress in Hong LGA has be scheduled to hold on Saturday, September 4, 2021.
The stakeholders, who rose from a meeting at the Shagari Royal Hotel,Yola, Adamawa State, decried any form of division that might make them not to speak with one voice ahead of the forthcoming party’s programmes and activities.
Speaking during the media briefing session, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC in Hong LGA, Hon. Bako Waliya, called for total unity among members, while admonishing APC faithful in the council to be wary of any form of imposition of candidates for party offices at the forthcoming congress.
He noted that imposition denies people of their personal preferences among a list of candidates for various positions and brings about unending feud and court cases in most political parties, including the APC.
Waliya, who spoke against the backdrop of the rumour that some certain powerful forces and individuals in the party had already concluded who should assume what official positions in the local government area executive of the party, said such people were trying to usurp the role of the LGA caucus and other stakeholders of the party.
According to him, any of such idea will never succeed.
“Distinguished party men and women, ladies and gentlemen, it has, indeed, become necessary and expedient to address the press and our teeming members on the issues surrounding and emanating from the preparations and proper holding of the Local Government Congresses of our great party in this Local Government Area.
“In the last few days, as we begin the countdown to the day of the congresses, we have become aware of certain moves and mindset by some of our party men and women, respected ones at that, whose only and consuming desire is to undermine the entire Local Government Area leadership machinery of our party by seeking to foist on us a pre-dertermined and already-selected list of party officials for the local government in a yet-to-be-held voting process!
“While we do not seek to deny anyone the right to hold opinion as to who they prefer to hold office or offices of our great party in this Local Government Area, our concern is that all processes and conditions required for the leadership of the party to emerge in this council must be followed and implemented to the letter.
“The reason for the above is simple and not far-fetched. It cannot, therefore, be better explained than to think of the chaos and litigations that usually trail elections of this kind whenever the processes involved fail to go in the order and manner the party’s Constitution or the Electoral Guidelines stipulates.
“Our party and others elsewhere are currently suffering the backlash of such mistakes of yesterday and we do not want to go that route in Hong Local Government Area.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Constitution of the APC, our great party has laid – down provisions on who possesses the powers and authority to make or take certain decisions in our party,” he said.
He said the constitution recognises and provides for only three basic organs to take decisions with regards to parry’s affairs.
“These include the working committee, the executive committee and the caucus.
“Outside the above listed three organs, any other organ can best be described as an advisory one or altogether a contraption of someone’s imagination.
“Let me, again, return to the constitution of our great party. Specifically, Article 12.14(i- xiii), which deals with the Local Government Area/Area Council Caucus of our party, is quite explicit on those who constitute the all- important caucus with regards to the councils and, by implication, stipulates who shall deal with, take and make certain decisions at the level of the LGA in respect of party affairs and activities.
“In our case, however, to paraphrase that provision, the caucus at the level of the Local Government/ Council Areas shall constitute all members of the Local Government Executive Council of the party, the LGA chairman and his deputy elected on the platform of the party, the candidates of the party for both LGA chairmanship and the deputy chairmanship positions, the ward party chairmen in the LGA/ Council Areas, Special ( physically challenged) Leader, such other members not exceeding six(6)( spread equitably across the wards) as may be co- opted or appointed by the LGA or Area Council Executive Committee of the party and all statutory members of the state caucus from such a LGA/Council Area.
The event drew many party leaders and stakeholders from Hong Local Government Area from their various places of abode across the country.
Those who could not attend, among whom were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Barr.Boss Mustapha, Federal lawmaker representing the Local Government Area in the House of Representatives, Rt.Hon.( Dr.) Yusuf Buba Yakub, and many others were conspicuously represented by equally powerful leaders and party’s stalwarts in their own right.
Among those who attended and ensured robust engagements with the media and the people were Dr. Raymond Chidama; former Hong Council bosses, Honourables Ibrahim Gayus Buba and Lala, members of the Interim Committee of the party at the Local Government Area, among others.
