The DG of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukman, has warned the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Convention Committee of the APC chaired by Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, not to repeat Adams Oshiomhole mistakes.
Naija News reports that the DG of the PGF gave the warning in a statement issued on Monday titled ‘APC’s Litmus Tests.’
According to the DG, the Adams Oshiomhole-led leadership of the APC failed to call for meetings of the organs of the party, a situation Mai Mala Buni-led committee is trying to repeat.
He stated that the Caretaker Committee was expected to take steps to begin to resolve challenges facing the APC, which was difficult to achieve under the dissolved NWC.
Lukman said: “With initial tenure of six months, which was extended by another emergency NEC of December 8, 2020, to June 2021, the work of the caretaker committee is expected to end with a national convention, where another leadership should emerge to manage affairs of the party for another four years.
“All party members and leaders should ensure that the caretaker committee is able to complete the task of organising a national convention where new leaders of the party will be elected.”
“The first test, therefore, is whether the challenges leading to the dissolution of the Comrade Oshiomhole-led NWC are being resolved by the caretaker committee. To what extent is the resolution of challenges facing the party conforming to both democratic principles and progressive ideals?
“Conforming to democratic principles requires that initiatives being implemented by the caretaker committee are based on decisions taken by competent organs as provided in the constitution of the party.
“Progressive ideals would require painstaking approaches to guarantee wider participation of leaders and members in the process of decision-making. Both democratic principles and progressive ideals are not mutually exclusive and could be achieved through guaranteeing that meetings of organs are taking place as provided in the constitution of the party.
“Absence of meetings of organs partly contributed to most of the disaffections in the party during the tenure of the Comrade Oshiomhole-led NWC. To what extent has the APC caretaker committee distinguished itself from the old characteristics of managing the affairs of the party without meetings of organs as provided in the party’s constitution?
“Somehow, the reality is that in terms of convening meetings of organs of the party, for more than nine months, the caretaker committee has not convened any meeting of any organ of the APC apart from the emergency NEC meeting of December 8, 2020. Sadly, even the 13-member caretaker committee is hardly meeting.”
He also accused Senator Akpan Udoedehe, Who is the Secretary of the Committee, of taking most of the decisions for the APCCECC.