The party officials lamented that members, who worked for APC’s victory in the 2015 general elections, have been neglected almost two years after the polls.
The state chairmen and national officers, under the aegis of Non-National Working Committee members, in their separate communications to the APC leadership and President Buhari, also decried the delay by the party in filling vacant positions in the state executives across the country.
The forum of non-NWC, on its part, registered its displeasure in a letter signed by National Ex-officio and coordinator of the forum, Hon. Omolaoye Akintola.
The national officers also decried the exclusion of a sizeable number of federating states from the scheme of things within the party as many states are presently not represented in the NWC.
The letter read in part, “We, therefore, deemed it necessary putting this letter across to Your Excellency, President Buhari, for your timely actions to save our great party from preventable, avoidable and unnecessary intra-party/in-house cracks that the present situation might generate.
“We wish to state that should things be allowed to continue in this manner, it will affect the party in the future and give room to NWC to completely neglect other NEC (National Executive Committee) members in the forthcoming appointments into boards and parastatals of government that were aimed to empower and keep the welfare of the party officials and others committed members at various levels.
“We, therefore, call for equal and adequate reward by way of appointments as chairmen and members of boards and parastatals.
“We also submit that the welfare of other members be given priority as once opined and observed by the President, where he observed during our last NEC meeting that the welfare of party officials is paramount because of the sacrifice they made and the risk in not doing so.”
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, who confirmed the displeasure expressed by the state chairmen, said, “The issue the chairmen raised was the issue of reward for party members.
“They expressed concern that the party members have not been properly rewarded. So, when we meet with the governors, we will discuss that by setting up a committee to look into their complaints.”
The party, however, told journalists that a committee would be constituted after a meeting of the NWC with APC governors to resolve the issues raised.
He also acknowledged that the need to replace some party officials, who have left for one reason or the other, was equally discussed at the meeting.
“Vacancies that resulted after some people have been appointed, died, resigned or gone to another party. We also discussed the details of how and when these congresses would be held and modalities for these congresses. “Another issue we discussed was the issue of membership registration and issue of sustainable platform for party funding across the country.”
Meanwhile, five members of the APC NWC are among party members jostling for the governorship tickets of the party in their respective states.
While the governorship election in Anambra and Ekiti states will hold this year and 2018, respectively, the other three will hold in 2019.
Moghalu, a former national secretary of the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party and its governorship candidate in the 2007 elections, is expected to battle for the APC governorship ticket in Anambra State with the likes of Senator Andy Uba, Dr. Chike Obidigbo, Chief Ifeanyi Ubah and others.
In Ekiti, where the governorship election is expected to hold next year, the APC Deputy National Chairman and former governor of Ekiti State, Oni, will contest the party’s governorship ticket with other party chieftains.
In Kwara State, where the governorship election will hold in 2019, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi, will have to surmount the hurdle posed by two members of the House Representatives from the state, Zakari Mohammed and Razaq Atunwa, and former national secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje.
In Gombe, the APC National Youth Leader, Jalo, who is a son in-law to a former governor of the state, Senator Danjuma Goje, will contest the governorship ticket with Inuwa Muhammad Yahaya, Abubakar Habu Mu’azu, Abdullahi Idris Umar and Farouk Bamusa.
The national secretary, Buni, is contesting for the governorship seat in Yobe State.
The party source, who preferred anonymity, said, “For some governors, the NWC members should be relieved of their duties, so that they could go and pursue their governorship ambitions.”
