FCT, Lagos APC At War Over Status Of Bolaji Abdullahi

The intra-party fighting in the All Progressives Congress (APC) has assumed another dimension as the Lagos and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) chapters are at war over the authenticity of Bolaji Abdullahi as the National Publicity Secretary of the party.

Trouble started when Abdullahi announce the decision of the National Secretariat of the APC annulling the suspension of the National Legal Adviser, Muiz Banire, by the Lagos Chapter.

Irked by the announcement, the publicity secretary of the party in Lagos State, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, in a statement on Saturday alleged that Abdullahi cannot speak for the party as he was not duly elected to be the national spokesperson, while insisting that the local chapter could sanction any erring party member.

However, the party’s spokesperson in the FCT, Adaji Usman, described Igbokwe’s claim that Abdullahi is not a substantive National Publicity Secretary as “absurd and without basis”.

According to him, Abdullahi was duly elected at the North-Central Convention of the party.

“I have been alerted to a statement by Mr Joe Igbokwe, the Lagos State Publicity Secretary of our Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in which he made several false claims about national officers of our Party.

“In the statement, which is in response to the release by the National Working Committee of the APC annulling the purported expulsion of Muiz Banire, the Party’s Legal Adviser, Igbokwe alleged that Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, our National Publicity Secretary, was not validly elected and so could not speak for the Party.

“This allegation by Igbokwe is absurd and without basis, as Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi was validly elected in line with provisions of our Party’s constitution on filling vacancies in the NWC.

“As the spokesperson of the APC in the FCT, which is in the North-Central zone, I participated fully in the North-Central Convention through which Mallam Abdullahi was elected as the substantive National Publicity Secretary of the APC.

“The election had delegates and key stakeholders from the zone, including four state governors, and was supervised by relevant bodies saddled with such responsibilities, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Mr Igbokwe has definitely stepped out of his bounds by issuing such a reckless statement attacking a highly-placed and reputable national officer of our party. He should retract this obnoxious statement or face disciplinary actions from the Party.

“It is surprising that Igbokwe who attended a workshop in Abuja organized by Mallam Abdullahi in his capacity as the National Publicity Secretary will turn around to cast aspersion on Abdullahi. If he had doubts about Abdullahi’s position in the Party, on what basis then did he attend the conference in Abuja?

“Even sadder is the fact that it was the same Abdullahi who stopped the moves by some state publicity secretaries to remove Igbokwe as chairman of the forum of state publicity secretaries of the APC (CAPS).

“Igbokwe’s penchant for insulting party leaders must stop. Our job as spokespersons for the state chapters of our great Party requires temperance, moderation and decorous use of language. Qualities that Igbokwe obviously lack.”