By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
All Progressives Congress(APC) Concerned Youths Forum, Dala Lawanti, Jere Local Government Area of Borno State has kicked against the cancellation of the party’s congress election across the state.
The Forum also lamented on the extension of the tenure of the party excutives at all levels of the country, stressing that, the extension is a great threat to the nascent democracy and encouragement to elongation of the tenure of the party executives at the ward, LGC and state levels.
Addressing journalists at the NUJ Press Center Maiduguri on Sunday, the spokesman and secretary of the forum, Umar Yakubu Bwala, appealed to the Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum to come to the rescue of the party structures at the wards, LGCs and state levels.
The Forum called on the governor to ensure the immediate and smooth conduct of the party’s congress in the state or constitute an interim committee for the party at all the levels in the state to checkmate and sanitize the party structure which have over stayed for over 8 years in some cases.
According to the spokesman, the extension of tenure of the party exco would completely destroy the tenets of the party and threaten if not frustrate the efforts and opportunities of other qualified and competent party members from contributing their quota in the party.
The forum also denied the rumour that the over stayed party members in office have followership, pointing out that most of them have already lost political relevance and are now in search of cheap political relevance instigating the leadership of the party to over stay in office unduely
It also accused the former State Governor, Kashim Shettima of mischief making within the party hierarchy, while urging Governor Zulum not to allow himself to be manipulated by the few selfish politicians surrounding him for their personal motives.
The Chairman of the forum, Musa Abubakar, further, said that if measures are not taken on time to address the grievances within the party structures, the center may not hold for the party as the cancellation of the party congress election and extension of tenure of the party caretaker committee members may threaten the stability and strength of the party nation wide.