The All
Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned the governor of Imo State, Owelle
Rochas Okorocha, to stop levying spurious allegations against the national
leadership
of the party.
The
embattled Imo State governor had alleged that the National Chairman of the APC,
Chief John Odigie-Oyegun ‘disobeyed’ court orders regarding Congresses in Imo
State and inauguration of the state’s party executives.
In a
statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji
Abdullahi, the ruling party described Okorocha’s allegation as spurious,
insisting that the party did not receive any court order stopping the congress.
“In reacting
to recent allegations by the Imo State governor that Oyegun ‘disobeyed’ court
orders regarding congresses in Imo State and inauguration of the state’s party
executives, the APC wishes to state that these allegations are spurious as the
party did not at any time receive any court injunctions regarding the
congresses in Imo.”
“Therefore,
we urge the Imo State governor to desist from making these kinds of allegations
that have no basis in facts. In conducting the congresses across the country,
in considering the outcomes of each one of them and in swearing in the
respective state chairmen, the National Working Committee (NWC) had strictly
followed the guiding rules and the constitution of the party,” the statement
added.
The ruling
party however advised the embattled governor to explore other mechanism spelt
out in the party’s constitution.
“There is
always room for redress where justified, hence, we encourage the Imo State
governor to explore internal dispute resolution mechanisms spelt out by our
constitution to address his perceived grievances.
“While we
urge compromise among party stakeholders, the party has already mandated the
Deputy National Chairman (North), Sen. Lawali Shuaibu to head our
reconciliation efforts following issues that arose from recently conducted
ward, local government and state congresses,” the statement read.
Meanwhile,
the ruling party has appealed to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal
government to consider granting national honour on the wife of to Moshood
Abiola, Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.
“While
joining Nigerians from all walks of life in commending President Buhari for
declaring June 12 as Democracy Day, as well as granting posthumous award of
Nigeria’s highest national honour (Grand Commander of the Federal Republic) to
Moshood Abiola, winner of the annulled presidential election of June 12, 1993,
the APC calls on the president to consider granting similar honour on Alhaja
Kudirat Abiola.
The APC
believes that Alhaja Kudirat Abiola who paid the supreme price with her
assassination in Lagos on June 4, 1996 at the heat of the mobilisation for the
restoration of her husband’s mandate as the winner of the 1993 presidential
election, deserves to be honoured in her own right, as a heroin and martyr of
democracy in Nigeria.
“APC recall
how she mobilised market women, students, activists and other human rights
community against military rule and the struggle for a truly democratic nation.
“The party
equally commended the decision to honour Abiola’s running mate, Babagana
Kingibe, and late human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi SAN with the second
highest national honour, Grand Commander of the Niger (GCON).
“In taking
this courageous and patriotic decision, the President has again displayed a
sincerity of purpose and his well-known penchant for doing the right thing
irrespective of political and sundry considerations,” the statement emphasised.
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