Fresh crisis has hit the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of its national convention.
This is as the South South zone of the party has been divided following a controversial zonal meeting held in Benin, Edo State.
The South South APC leaders were reported to have endorsed former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, as the concensus candidate of the zone for the national chairmanship position.
But few minutes after the meeting, four state chairmen of the party and leaders washed their hands off the resolution, saying they were “ambushed.”
In a video recorded after the meeting, APC chairmen from Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Rivers and Bayelsa, as well as some aggrieved zonal leaders, told reporters that whatever resolution reached at the South South zonal meeting was not binding on them.
They said the National Vice Chairman, South South, Ntufam Eta, of convened the meeting with the sole aim of getting an endorsement for a particular aspirant to the post of national chairman.
They said the national vice chairman does not have the power to convene any zonal meeting, without getting the clearance of the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, who is also from South South.
The Rivers State Chairman of the party, Chief Davies Ikanya, said, “The national vice chairman is from the zone. The national chairman is also from the zone. The national vice chairman cannot convene a meeting of the zone without the knowledge or approval of the national chairman.
“We were ambushed by the national vice chairman, to adopt a pre-conceived candidate he had already made up his mind about, based on whatever agreement.
“Even when someone raised a motion, asking him to disqualify himself from the meeting, having shown bias, he ignored it and sat there, and is now saying there was a decision. We want you to know that out of six states, four states are saying it was an ambush; it is not acceptable. There was no resolution.
“We have said every person is free to run for an election. We stand by the resolution of the NEC, that there is a waiver. The national chairman can re-contest if he so wishes. Anybody from the zone can contest. Whatever has come out of this meeting is a farce. It is not binding on anybody.
“It is null and void, because four states are saying no. Just one and half, Edo and some fraction of Delta, are the people saying they have a vote. This is not democracy. The majority view is that there was no consensus on any candidate.”
The Bayelsa State chairman, Tiwei Orunimighe aligned with the others, saying what happened was a fraud.
On his part, the Cross Rover chairman, Etim John, said, “As regards what happened here, I stand to dissociate myself. Whatever resolution so adopted is null and void.”
His Akwa Ibom state counterpart, Dr. Amadu Atai, said, “We came here to be ambushed by the national vice chairman. We, from Akwa Ibom State will not support any decision taken here today. Whatever decision taken today is out of context and we cannot accept it.”
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