Congresses: Faulty consensus may push APC into extinction, stakeholders warn.
CONCERNED members and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress, have warned that the party risks going into extinction if the abuse of the consensus option it allowed to go unchecked.
The party members acting under the aegis of Concerned Stakeholders of the APC, on Wednesday, cautioned the party leadership against foisting unpopular leaders on the party under the guise of consensus.
Convener of the group, Abubakar Sidiq, gave the warning during a press conference in Abuja, on Wednesday.
Sadiq said “As part of activities leading to our National Convention, we have held Ward and Local Government Congresses in a very undemocratic way, clearly imposing leadership on members at the grassroots in the guise of the so called ‘consensus’ candidate.
“While we acknowledge that consensus is one of our party’s Constitutional provisions, it is an irrefutable fact that the APC Constitution did not envisage a situation where certain individuals, whether as governors, former governors or party leaders would coerce members into accepting a premeditated outcome as a mutually agreed option.
“A forced outcome is never a consensus, because any procedure that does not uphold the freedom of choice of individuals cannot be said to embody the progressive politics that APC ought to represent.
“We may have missed the opportunity to right these wrongs at the two levels where congresses already held, but the forthcoming national convention presents a perfect opportunity that we must take advantage of.
“Consequently, these Concerned Stakeholders demand that open contestation must be the only option for every position in the National Working Committee of the party.
In response, the APC National Secretary, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said it was normal for those who fail to get what they were looking for democratically to form associations in pursuit of their agenda.
Akpanudoedehe further said, “People must make themselves to love the party. What people should be talking about is the performance of the party in giving dividend to Nigerians. It is their right to vent anger but consensus allows cohesion and cohesiveness.
“Those God wants to be there, will be there. The beauty of this Caretaker Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee is that it would do everything to ensure a rancour free process and we are doing that. But not everybody will be happy.”
