A network of several youths groups in Nigeria’s governing party, the All Progressives Congress, APC says members of party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee aspiring to contest for a position at the Party’s forthcoming National Convention should step down from the Committee.
The network of youth groups known as the APC Young Stakeholders Forum stated this in a press release signed by the Forum’s Conveners, Mr. George Green and Haruna Rabiu.
The APC Caretaker Committee is incharge of organising and conducting the party’s National Convention on March 26 where members of the party’s National Working Committee will be elected
In view of this, the Youth Forum said any member of the Caretaker Committee contesting for any position will make the credibility of the process questionable.
“We wish to state unequivocally that this attempt to be in the race for a position in the National Convention while still serving as a member of the CECPC will simply amount to being ‘a judge in his own case’.
“This is because the CECPC is the undisputed electoral umpire in the coming elective convention of the party. Therefore, none of the current serving member of the CECPC should be allowed to be in the race for any office at the convention let alone being part of the coming National Working Committee (NWC).
“This act must be resisted by all and sundry as allowing it to happen will run against every grain of natural justice and all known moral considerations. It will further put the credibility of the entire process in serious question at a time the party is looking forward to a worthy National Convention to usher in a substantive NWC and some members of NEC of the party in preparation for the much-anticipated 2023 general elections,” the group said.
It is worthy of note that two members of the APC Caretaker Committee; the youth representative in the Committee and SA to the President on Social Investments Program, Mr. Ismaeel Ahmed and the a former Senate President in Nigeria, Ken Nnamani are contesting for positions on the NWC in the forthcoming Convention.
In addition, the Youth Forum said the interest of young people were not considered when the Caretaker committee decided on the cost of Nomination and Expression of Interest forms being sold by the party to those contesting for positions on its National Executive.
They added that despite youth representation on the Caretaker committee, some decisions made by the committee were not in the interest of the youths.
“One of such policies that excludes young people and ordinary Nigerians from the party leadership positions is the exorbitant and outrageous cost for nomination forms for election into NWC and NEC positions of the party in the coming convention.
“Nomination fees that are way beyond the reach of the teeming passionate and committed party faithfuls who has been neglected and abandoned since the party came to power in 2015.
“It is important to note that the APC Young Stakeholders Forum, a conglomeration, and network of registered youth groups within the party will do everything legally possible to prevent this injustice from taking place and taking roots in the party now and in the future,” the group said.
The Forum expressed confidence in the APC leadership to make right decisions for the good of the party.
