By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A group known as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youths Renaissance has claimed that some dissidents within the party in Taraba State are working in connivance with those it called “enemies of our party” to launch vitriolic and unrestrained attacks against the national leadership of the ruling party over its decision to stick to party constitution and guidelines in dealing with the unnecessary and instigated crisis that greeted the last state congresses.
In a statement signed by the National Secretary of the group, Mr Collins Edwin, it was alleged that the plan is to “blackmail, demonize and use unfounded allegations and planted stories couched with negative narratives as well as threat of massive defection to coerce and compel the leadership of the party to execute their selfish and anti-party agenda.”
Mr Edwin noted that these rebels have agreed to blackmail party leadership after they refused to invoke relevant sections of the party’s constitution against erring members who conducted parallel congresses in the state as against its stipulated guidelines and principles.
Recall that the national secretariat of the party had earlier warned party members to stick to the guidelines mapped out for the last congresses, but some members whose loyalties were elsewhere in the state ignored it.
As a result, they conducted parallel state congresses not monitored by the Chairmen and Secretaries of the Congress Committee sent to the state by the national secretariat of the party.
“Hence, we support the move by the leadership of our party to wield the big stick against erring members in Taraba State because no organisation not even a political party can grow or survive without enforcing discipline or taking disciplinary measures against defaulters.
“Their threat of causing the party to loose elections in Taraba State is not only an empty threat, but also an unveiled expression of their real mission in to the party before it was busted with the aid of credible and superior intelligence,” the APC Youths Renaissance said.
Mr Edwin asked, “How can a group of paper-weight politicians whose loyalties are elsewhere and who only joined the party about six months ago be threatening it of losing election whereas they were not in our fold when the party won most seats in the State House of Assembly as well as House of Representatives in 2015 general elections?”
“Therefore, we urge the national leadership of our great party as well as the authentic leadership of the party in the state led by Abdulmumini Vaki and all genuine party members, stakeholders and supporters not to be distracted by the antics of the gold-diggers in our midst.
“Since, their plots to scatter the party in the state have failed, it is natural that they will go back to their paymasters by calling it massive defection when it is ‘selfish defection’ in the real sense.
“We therefore challenge them to state the level of their affinity with Obasanjo Third Force Coalition as well as their association with the PDP government in the state.
“It is however needles to restate that no amount of blackmail or threats by any individual or groups can stop the national leadership of the party from doing the right thing nor prevent the party from winning elections in the state next year,” the statement said.
Adedapo Adesanya