APC Group debunks allegations of party factionalism

Dr Aminu Isyaku, Director-General, Coalition of Progressive Youth Groups in Nigeria and the Diaspora (COPY-ND), a group within the All Progressives Congress (APC), debunks insinuations of party factionalism.

Reacting to a communique earlier issued by the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM), another group within the APC, Isyaku, told a news conference on Sunday in Abuja that there were no factions in the party.

The PYM had purportedly dissolved the Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and constituted a new one.

“We want to set the records straight and calm the anxiety of APC youths and declare that there are no factions or leadership crises in the APC.

“We are the ruling party, and we have one caretaker party leadership in place, led by Gov. Buni and appointed unanimously by the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

“We are a volunteer coalition driven by the concern that we have for the need to correct the negative impression created by the careless actions of the so-called PYM.

“Accordingly, we have painstakingly analysed the political events in the last few days in the youth constituency of the party.

“We, therefore, wish to state without ambiguity that the COPY-ND is not part of this grand plot to destabilise the party under the leadership of Buni,” Isiyaku said.

The COPY-ND leader added that they gave reports to the police, the Department of State Services and other security agencies as to the illegal activities of the PYM.

He described the action of the PYM as illegality and part of a grand plot to destabilise the APC under the leadership of Gov. Buni ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Isyaku added that the so-called new leadership announced by the PYM for the APC does not represent the views of the teeming youths that formed the foundation and remained the party’s asset.

He maintained that the APC is a party of rules and due process and was too critical to the Nigerian youth. He said the party would not be distracted by a mere press briefing and reckless announcement of new leadership arbitrarily named by a sponsored group alien to the COPY-ND and the APC.

“In the party today, we have a caretaker committee that has navigated the party from the brink of hatred and steered it onto the safe ground and restored order in it.

“We achieved this through membership registration and revalidation, the constitution of the tripartite committee, contact and strategic committee and major election victories.

“It has also been achieved through the institutionalisation of a reward system in the party and defection of governors and chieftains of other political parties into the APC,” he added.

According to him, the Federal Government and the APC are determined to mainstream youths in all their activities, including bringing them into the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC).

Suzan O./NAN