Ahead of Saturday’s commencement of its Wards, Local Governments and States Congresses, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has threatened to punish any of its members who conduct parallel exercises or open parallel party secretariats.
The party hierarchy gave the warning in a statement issued Friday in Abuja and signed by the National Secretary of its Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee CECPC, Sen. John James Akpanudoedehe.
He also reminded party members of the December 8, 2020 resolution of the National Executive Committee NEC of the party which directed all aggrieved members to withdraw cases from the courts and warned others not to institute litigations against the party.
“It is important that the attention of all party faithful be called to the NEC resolution of 8th December, 2020, which subsists and extends to the conduct of party members during the congresses.
“For purposes of clarity, may I re-state the relevant point in the resolution to wit:
“All pending litigations instituted by members against the party should be withdrawn forthwith, and going forward, no member should institute matters against the party, without exhausting the internal mechanism for conflict resolution, as enshrined in the party’s constitution’.
“Consequent upon the above, party members should please note that: All activities that may be carried out by persons to put the party and its officers in bad light, before, during and after the congresses should be jettisoned”, he stated.
The party added that “all activities or processes leading up to the congresses and thereafter which do not have the approval of the CECPC are exercises in futility. This is to say that: any purported; parallel congress, parallel party organ and or parallel party office, is to say the least a nullity”.
The APC leadership vowed to dish out maximum punishment to offenders in accordance with its constitutional provisions.
“These divisive activities will not be tolerated.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the party shall deploy the full weight of the law as stipulated in section 21(D) of our party’s Constitution on any one who perpetrates such unlawful Act(s) and also on their sponsors.
“All persons who are affected by Article 31 of our Constitution should apply for waivers as stipulated under sub. Section 3 of the said Article 31, this is also clearly spelt out in the ‘Special provisions’ of our guidelines”, the party added.
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