The All Progressives Congress, APC, has inaugurated State Congress Committees and Appeal Committees in the country to conduct congresses and entertain appeals this Saturday.
A 5-member State Congress Committee is to conduct congress in the Federal Capital Territory FCT.
Some state congress committee chairmen include Dr Pius Odubu (Adamawa); Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazzau (Taraba); Prince Austin Eweka (Kano); Sen. Domingo Obende (Niger); Sen. Jonathan Zwingina (Abia); Sen. Olugbenga Obadara (Delta); Sen. Uche Ekwunife (Lagos); Hon. Mathew Omegara (Ondo); Peter Obadan (Ogun); Abdullahi Gwarzo (Oyo), among others.
Three-member committees were also inaugurated to entertain appeals that may arise from the state congresses.
The Appeal Committees have, among others, Chris Akomas as chairman of Ebonyi State; Gbenga Elegbeleye (Rivers); Bashir Lado (Ogun); Alhaji Abubakar Maikudi (Bauchi); Amb. Jerry Ugo (Kano); Barr. Kogolo Peter (Imo).
Inaugurating the committees Thursday in Abuja, Osita Izunaso, National Organising Secretary of the party, said the congresses must be conducted in strict conformity with the official APC guidelines for state congresses.
Izunaso said the State Congress Committees were expected to hold meetings with stakeholders in the respective states today before Saturday’s nationwide congresses to elect state executive committee members, which include the traditional 17-member State Working Committees.
“Don’t deny anybody who has a payment teller a form. It is undemocratic… You don’t have the power to postpone the election. If you go to a state and you find out that it is impossible to conduct the election, you inform the NWC for approval.
”The National Convention is close by, we want to conclude these processes as quickly as possible,” Izunaso said.
For the Appeal Committees, he said every petition from individuals who contested elections must be entertained and advised the Appeal Committees to gauge the security situation in their respective states before deciding where to hold their sittings.
Noting that the NWC had the final decision on appeals, Organising Secretary said, “If the place is volatile for the Appeal Committee, and they cannot sit there, you can sit in Abuja.”
