Convention: Protests, drama, fisticuffs herald exercise

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention held at the Eagle Square, Abuja, yesterday, was characterized by protests, drama and fisticuffs as warring members of the ruling party in some states battled for supremacy. 
This is just as President Muhammadu Buhari said the APC would emerge stronger from its present challenges.
President Buhari in his speech at the convention said that the crisis rocking many of the states chapters of the ruling party was the price it has to pay for its success.
His words: “I want to assure everyone here that despite a few lingering issues with the congresses in some states, our great party will emerge stronger after this convention. The unresolved cases we have are the price we have to pay for success, as everyone wants to be associated with a winning team. I am imploring all those with grievances to keep faith with the party until we put things right.”
The president expressed appreciation to the outgoing members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), especially those who are not re-contesting, for their efforts in ensuring that the party emerged victorious at the 2015 general elections.
He also commended members of the Convention Committee led by the Jigawa State governor, Badaru Abubakar, for providing a level playing field for all the aspirants to various positions thereby instilling confidence in both the delegates and contestants.
“The adoption of consensus as a first option is commendable and the process has led to a lot of healing and cohesion across the states and the zones, and where elections are inevitable, I have been assured that the process adopted will result in clear and undisputed results. Again I am appealing to all contestants to keep faith with the party.
“May I, therefore, appeal to all to put our great party ahead of personal considerations and to accept the outcome of the exercise in good faith. You are all important to our party’s progress and all must come together to ensure success in the forthcoming polls so as to enable us to continue the good work we have been doing for our fellow Nigerians,”
Buhari pleaded.
However, the division in the ruling party came to the fore yesterday as the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives,  Hon. Yakubu Dogara, were not invited to give goodwill messages, as was usually the case in such occasions.
Saraki and Dogara are members of the popular new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP), an aggrieved arm of the APC.
While others were recognised to give their goodwill messages,  Saraki and Dogara, were left out.
No official explanation was offered on why they were shut out.
During his remarks, President Buhari also left out Saraki and Dogara while acknowledging governors and other stakeholders present at the convention.
Except for the outgone chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, other party leaders who addressed the gathering did not recognise Saraki and Dogara.
As expected, the convention was not without hiccups as drama, protests and intrigues inundated the gathering.
The aggrieved members of the party and members of factional state executives, protested their exclusion from the convention.
There was a free-for-all fight in Imo and Delta states pavilions as political gladiators from the two states engaged themselves in a brawl. Similarly, security personnel stopped members of a faction of the Zamfara State APC loyal to Senator Kabiru Marafa from gaining access into the Eagle Square.
Spokesman of the delegates, Muhammad Bello Bakyasuwa, told journalists on the sideline that although they are the authentic delegates from the state, they were denied entry to the venue by security personnel.
According to him,  “our faction fulfilled all the requirements for contesting party positions. While the (Governor) Abdullaziz Yari faction didn’t fulfill the requirements. The Governor Yari faction didn’t pay for the forms for contesting elections to party positions, but our own faction fulfilled all the conditions, including the payment for all the nomination forms.
“As you can see we are the majority, but the security operatives stopped us from entering into the venue of the convention.  Right now we don’t know where our chairman is. We will take appropriate action to seek redress. We are dully and legitimate elected executives of APC in Zamfara State.  They stopped us because some of our supporters were wearing T- shirts with the photograph of our leader, Senator Kabir Garba Marafa.”
He said the group would explore legal means to ensure that it is recognised as the authentic leadership in the Zamfara APC.
Earlier, the outgoing national Chairman of the APC,  Chief John Odigie-Oyegun in his welcome address, expressed satisfaction with the attendance at the convention.
He noted that going by the information in the social and mainstream media,  one would think the party was heading for an implosion.
Oyegun,  who expressed appreciation to the president and other leaders of the party,  said that he was glad that the party is still standing firm, noting that his exit marks the end of a phase in the APC.
“If you read the social media and some of the headlines in our media, you will think that this is a party that was on the verge of implosion, that it has divisions within it that was fatal. But look around, what we have is colorful and one happy family. I thank you all for this privilege,” he said. On his part, the Jigawa State governor, said the ruling party intends to use the convention to step the tune for internal democracy ahead of the 2019 general elections.
Abubakar explained that out of the 60 positions been contested at the convention, 18 of the positions,  including the post of the national chairman is unopposed. While 42 positions would be contested for.
The Jigawa governor said: “My team and I have worked hard to reconcile the various interests at play and have strived to achieve consensus for as many party positions as possible. Where this could not be achieved, we will adopt the most convincing and visibly transparent process.
“I am convinced that for all positions of which voting will take place, a clear winner will emerge and whosoever loses will do so with dignity and with the satisfaction that he lost in a free and fair contest.”
-Sun