All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday says only exercises conducted by duly inaugurated State Congress Committees would be recognised by the party.
The National Secretary of APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention PAPClanning Committee, James Akpanudoedehe, who stated this in a statement in Abuja, described the parallel congresses in many parts of the country as futile activities.
He, however, congratulated its members on the conduct of state congresses across the country held in the 36 states across the country on Saturday.
But the exercises were trailed by crisis in many states with rival factions holding parallel congresses in defiance with the party’s directives to all aggrieved members to channel their complaints through appropriate platforms for resolution.
Akpanudoedehe said: “We had to focus on internal democracy and the charge by the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari, that the party be returned to the people.
“Card-carrying party members came out en masse to elect executives who will take charge of APC affairs across the states for the next four years.
“However, our attention has been drawn to reports of so-called and purported parallel congresses. The purported parallel congresses are futile activities.
“It is very strange to the party. Our Constitution and the guidelines for the conduct of the state and other congresses provide that only exercises conducted by duly-inaugurated State Congress Committees are recognized by the party.”
He added that the APC leadership would not hesitate to take adequate and lawful measures against any person or interest sabotaging the party’s collective interest and efforts to achieve peace and unity within its fold.
He said where conflicts exist, adequate conflict resolution measures had been put in place to address such through the party’s Appeal Committees.
The APC spokesman reminded the party’s members that the National Reconciliation Committee was inaugurated under the chairmanship of former Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu.
The committee, according to him, was mandated to reconcile all differences that may come up after the congresses.
