The All Progressives Congress (APC) has explained that it temporarily suspended the activities of Zamfara Ward Congress Committee because it received intelligence reports on it.
Sen. John Akpanudodehe, National Secretary, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), gave the explanation in a statement on Monday, in Abuja.
Akpanudodehe said this, while reacting to comments made in a section of the media by one of the party’s chieftains in the state.
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“Our attention has been drawn to uninformed and misguided comments by Sen. Kabiru Marafa regarding APC Ward Congresses held in Zamfara on Saturday Nov. 13.
“While the APC will not join issues with Sen. Marafa who is supposed to be one of the party’s leaders in Zamfara but chooses to denigrate the party and its leaders, it is important to set the records straight.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the APC received intelligence reports bordering on the security of the Zamfara APC Ward Congress Committee, hence the need to temporarily suspend their activities,” Akpanudodehe said.
This, he said, necessitated the letter of Nov. 5, to the Chairman of the Committee, Alhaji Ibrahim Kabir Masari.
He further explained that after evaluation and consultations, the committee, in a letter dated Nov.10, was okayed to proceed with the conduct of the Zamfara Ward Congresses on Saturday Nov.13.
According to the APC scribe, Sen. Marafa participated in the exercise.
He added that this had nothing to do with the 21 days notice for the conduct of Wards, Local Government Areas and State Congresses in Zamfara earlier sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which subsists.
He added that the letter to Alhaji Ibrahim Masari which Sen. Marafa was brandishing was an internal administrative correspondence and was not copied to INEC nor any other agency or persons.
Akpanudodehe said this clarification was necessary to guide Sen. Marafa and his cohorts who seem bent on misleading the party’s teeming members in Zamfara.
“We urge Marafa and his cohorts not to reduce the political issues to a contest of personalities but submit to party supremacy and internal dispute resolution structures adequately provided for by the APC Constitution.
“Anything outside this amounts to insubordination and indiscipline and the APC Constitution is very clear on this,” Akpanudodehe said.
Marafa had described the APC Zamfara Congresses as an illegality that should not be regarded.
Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, Director-General, Press and Media Affairs to Gov. Mai Mala Buni, Chairman APC CECPC in a separate statement, however, described Marafa’s comments on the Zamfara APC Congresses as nothing but an empty ranting.
He said Marafa was only complaining now because his camp failed in the congress and lost out, adding that he wouldn’t have been shouting if he had won.
He advised him to approach a competent court of jurisdiction and seek redress if felt aggrieved over congress.
(NAN)
