APC splits, rAPC emerges

After months of speculations, apprehension and threats by some aggrieved members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, particularly, members of the new Peoples Democratic Party, they finally exited the party yesterday to form a splinter group called the Reformed All Progressives Congress (rAPC).
The faction, which claimed to be the “authentic” faction of the party, said members of the nPDP, the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), and Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which had originally merged to form the APC in 2014, are members of the new bloc.
Also, the rAPC declared as null and void the recently concluded elective national congress, which produced the new National Working Committee (NWC), led by former Edo state Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole illegal, stating that the processes from ward, local and states congresses to the national were breached and emergence of the new leadership was equally compromised.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the rAPC National Chairman, Engineer Buba Galadima, said its members were frustrated by the APC government that failed to fulfill its campaign promises to Nigerians and tackle decisively the sustained killings across the country.
At the media parley which had former leader of the nPDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje in attendance, Galadima said the rAPC would work with like-minded political parties and groups to offer Nigeria qualitative good governance in 2019.
‘Our grouse’ He said: “Nigeria faces an existential threat arising from three years of neardestruction of this country and the exacerbation of our ethnic, religious and divisive cleavages,” but quickly added that “a rescue plan is in the works and will be unfolded soon.
“We will, in concert with others, offer real change to Nigeria, not fake change.
It is clear that our party needs a leadership that will live by its founding ideals.
We have therefore decided to legitimately lead those members to work to rebuild our nation more firmly on genuine democratic principles, to enshrine good governance and restore the faith of Nigerians in the possibility of the existence of a prosperous, secure and peaceful nation.” Elaborating further on reasons for exiting the APC, the faction recalled that they had, in conjunction with other progressive elements, come together in 2015 to form a brand new political party called APC.
“This merger was based on the strong belief that Nigeria had come of age that it was severely underperforming and incapable to meet the potentials of good governance,” Galadinma said, regretting however that apart from dashing hopes, “the APC has run a ruthless and incompetent government that has failed to deliver good governance to the people.
“It has rather imposed dictatorship, impunity, abuse of power, complete application of constitutional and statutory responsibilities, impunity in the rule of law and constitutionality.
It has failed to ensure the security and welfare of Nigerian and elevated nepotism to secondary height.” APC National Convention On the recent national convention of APC, Galadima said: “The so-called National Convention of the APC was even worse.
The National Convention of the party was ridiculed with constitutional infirmities that were so glaring and obvious that no fair minded person can claim that a legitimate and lawful executive emerged from that process.” The rAPC alleged that Article 20 of the APC Constitution that provided for ‘yes ‘or ‘no’ where if only one person is nominated at the Convention was abused, adding that Article 20 (1) of the APC Constitution was equally adhered to in the breach.
“The APC government has been a monumental disaster, even worse than the government it replaced.
The political party that was a vehicle for enthroning the government was rendered powerless by manipulations and complete lack of due process in its operations.
“The last straw was the Congresses and Convention of the APC held recently.
The Congresses were intensely disputed as it was conducted with impunity, total disregard for due process, disregard for the party Constitution and naked display of power and practices that have no place in a party we all worked the very hard to put in place.
“There are countless cases in courts all over the country challenging the legality of congresses and even the National Convention itself.
It is very likely that the judicial decisions on these cases will result in massive chaos, confusion and uncertainties.
“The fate of a party in these states with a few months to the elections is best left to the imagination, but it is not a fate we believe our millions of members should be abandoned to.
“There were parallel congresses in 24 states namely: Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Lagos, Niger, Ondo, Oyo,  Rivers, Sokoto and Zamfara.
“These congresses in Wards, Local Government Areas and States all over the federation produced different sets of delegates.
We therefore had an unfortunate situation where the party has been seriously factionalised and divided in not just 24 States but the 36 States and Abuja FCT,” the group further alleged.
Oshiomhole begs Saraki, Dogara, others But the APC National Chairman, Comrade Oshiomhole, has pleaded with Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and other aggrieved members to have a rethink and rather forge a united front as APC members.
Oshiomhole made the plea when he led members of the NWC on a courtesy visit to the leadership of the National Assembly, assuring that his team would work for a united party with committed and loyal members.
“This idea of wanting to be seen as the biggest party in Nigeria and Africa without required functionality as a united group with clear direction of destination is not our focus, but a party populated by members who are committed and loyal to its desires of taking Nigeria to greater heights .Yes, it is good to be big or large in size as a party but becoming too big and become dysfunctional is not good for us “, he said.
He distanced the party’s national executive from utterances made by some party chieftains that any aggrieved party man can go to anywhere.
“We do not subscribe to the position of people within the party saying anybody can go anywhere”, he said.
He explained to the APC senators that the purpose of the NWC visit to them was for a heart-to-heart conversation towards finding solutions to whatever problems they had with the party at whatever levels.
According to him, regardless of the magnitude of crises that may be afflicting the party at whatever level, the three ingredients of commitment to justice , fairness and courage to stand by the truth, the new leadership is operating with, the party will come out stronger from such crises.
Earlier threat The nPDP, had on Sunday, given public notice that it would make its position clear over the planned exit of the group about three months ago, following its petition to the leadership of the party and the Presidency, alleging marginalisation and persecution of its members.

The R-APC excos include:

1. Yobe State – Buba Galadima (National Chairman)
2. Kano State – Bala Muhd Gwagwarwa (National Deputy Chairman, North)
3. Abia State – Chief Theo Nkire (National Deputy Chairman, South East)
4. Ondo State – Hon.
   Eko Olakunle (National Vice Chairman South West) 5.
   Kaduna State – Hon.
   Hussaini Dambo (National Vice Chairman North West)
5. Kogi State – Mahmud Mohammed Abubakar – (National Vice Chairman, North Central)
6. Benue State – Hon.
   Godwin Akaan (Deputy National Secretary)
7. Oyo State -Dr Fatai Atanda (National Secretary)
8. Edo State – Kazeem Afegbua (National Publicity Secretary)
9. Adamawa State – Daniel Bwala (Financial Secretary)
10. Jigawa State – Abba Malami Taura (Deputy National Auditor)
11. Kwara State – Hon. Kayode Omotose (National Treasurer)
12. Anambra State -Barr. Nicholas Asuzu (National Youth Leader)
13. Rivers State – Barr. Baride A.
    Gwezia (Legal Adviser)
14. Katsina State – Haj Aisha Kaita (National Woman Leader) 16.
    Bauchi State – Mrs.Fatima Adamu (National Welfare Secretary)
15. Ogun State -Alh. Isiak Akinwumi (Deputy Financial Secretary)
16. Zamfara State – Alh. Bashir Mai Mashi (Deputy National Treasurer)
17. Abuja – Hauwa Adam Mamuda (Deputy Welfare Secretary) 20.
    Sokoto State – Hon. Shuaibu Gwanda Gobir (Deputy National Publicity Secretary)
18. Katsina State – M.T. Liman (National Organising Secretary)
19. Niger State – Dr Theo Sheshi ( Deputy National Organising Secretary.