September 14, (THEWILL) – Former aspirants of the All Progressive Congress (APC) under the aegis of APC360, have called on the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to urgently set measures to prevent the “dangerous” trend of defection or risk seeing the party defeated in the 2023 elections.
There have been reports of defections from the APC in some states since the conclusion of the party’s primaries. While at least eight senators had dumped the party, including the Senate Majority and Minority leaders, 25 lawmakers in the House of Representatives have equally defected.
The state chapters of the party in Gombe, Katsina, Sokoto, Adamawa, Bauchi, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ogun, Edo, among others, are reportedly collapsing due to mass defections.
More than dozen state chapters are also embroiled in crisis, with fears that the party may not forge a strong unit to stage a successful campaign for the elections.
Consequently, all aspirants, who contested for various elective posts at the party’s primaries from the 36 states of the federation and Abuja, met in Abuja on Tuesday, where they raised the alarm of alleged imminent danger in the party.
The National Secretary of the APC360, Chris Enoch, in a statement issued after the meeting, said supporters of the APC were deeply concerned about the fact that the party hierarchy has still not arrested the situation.
Enoch said the development “is also hazardous and harmful to the health and wealth of our great party, particularly when we are preparing for a national election.
“We as members of the only pressure group that have invested in this great party through the direct purchase at the expression of interest and nomination forms, etc. are concerned because of our belief that the massive decamping which is being surreptitiously carried out, is planned and calculated to frustrate the coasting to victory of Tinubu at the in-coming general election by those who have scores to settle with the party or are holding grudges, and to this end, are working against the party.
“Some of these defection cases are sponsored by some powerful members who feel dissatisfied with the mood and manner by which the party has treated them with the conduct of the primaries, while others are borne out of the allegation that the party hierarchy abandoned and relegated them into the background after victory, not acknowledging or compensating them for their huge efforts and heavy commitment to the party before the victory.
“We as vested stakeholders in the party can no longer stay akimbo and pretend that things are okay, while a large number of significant members, particularly aspirants from 2013, 2015, and 2022 primaries, are decamping to strengthen opposition parties which give them listening ears.”
About the Author
