Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of its national convention deepened, on Wednesday, when members loudly protested the composition of the convention sub-committee, in Abuja.
Daily Sun gathered at the venue of the inauguration of the convention sub-committee members that several names initially published by the convention committee were removed on the order of presidency.
The presidency directive left some of the members, especially the protesting members of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) disappointed, resulting in the aggrieved persons protesting openly in Abuja.
Some of the protesters who said their names were initially on the published lists publicly accused the presidency of replacing about 50 names from the original list, lamenting that some of the names removed were majorly members of the aggrieved nPDP) in APC.
One of the protesters and an APC chieftain who pleaded anonymity, complained that, “we were told that the wife of the President sent in about 50 names to replace the original list. This is very unfair for a party preaching internal democracy.”
The APC staff members equally protested angrily you the point of exchanging punches with the accreditation committee, complaining that they were not carried along in the process leading to the national convention.
However, speaking with newsmen shortly after the inauguration, the convention committee chairman and governor Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru, confirmed that a tentative date of June 23 was suggested by some of his committee members as the convention date.
“It was suggested today that we should have the convention on June 23 but we will have to discuss it with the National secretariat to confirm the date,” he said.
Governor Badaru equally denied media report that his committee was planning to spend about N6 billion on the forthcoming exercise, stressing: “I am very sure it will be very far less than that.
“Tomorrow, we are getting all the budgets from all the sub-committees, but I can assure you that it will be far less. Knowing me and knowing what I stand for, you will know that it will be the cheapest national convention ever.
Asked who will foot the bill for the national convention, the governor replied: “We are raising it among the party members and they have started donating already.”
On whether he is worried about the recent parallel congresses witnessed in many state of the federation, the governor said: “I am sure they will be resolved before the time of the convention. Most of those issues will find way to be resolved in due time.”
He equally revealed the commencement date for the sale of nomination forms, disclosing that; “I am sure that the nomination forms will be ready probably by Monday or Tuesday next week.”