Counting down to the February 26 National Convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, a group under the aegis of South-South Emerging Leaders’ Forum (SELF) has urged Stakeholders and leaders of the party not to elect as National Chairman, some former governors and individuals who have been indicted for some financial crimes by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC and other anti-graft agencies.
According to the group, it will be out of place for the APC to elect as National Chairman who will be the head of the National Working Committee, NWC a person who is being indicted by the EFCC and others.
In a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, the National Coordinator of the group, Barrister Preye Wilson, warned that as a ruling party, the party does not need a national chairman that will be moved in and out of the anti-corruption agencies’ offices to explain their dealings in the past.
The National Coordinator of South-South Emerging Leaders’ Forum, SELF who was reacting to a write-up titled, “the APC faces integrity test, five chairmanship aspirants on EFCC radar, said that it is time for the ruling party to deviate from past experiences of electing former governor as national chairman, even as he warned that if any of these allegedly indicted chairmanship aspirants is elected as a national chairman the party will be easily blackmailed by the opposition parties and other critics.
A National Newspaper had argued that “President Buhari, who claims the fight against corruption is the cornerstone of his administration, has constantly frowned against corrupt persons taking up positions of leadership. With some of the aspirants still battling cases at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, will the President as the leader of the party, and the APC hierarchy be willing to look the other way or will they insist that anyone is free to contest? Providing an answer to this question would require looking into the profiles of the 11 aspirants.”
However, the South-south forum has urged that the party delegates and leaders at all levels should consider Senator Mohammed Sani Musa’s integrity, track records, firmness and simplicity among those parading themselves as chairmanship aspirants in APC.
Wilson said, “For us in the South-south Emerging Leaders’ Forum, we believe that the best way the ruling party can continue to discourage corruption as clearly stated in the agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari is to elect a new national chairman that’s free of EFCC or ICPC cases.
“We also note that since the successful merger process the produced the ruling APC former governors have had enough time. From our father former governor of Osun state Chief Bisi Akande, who was succeeded by another former governor of Edo state Chief John Odigie Oyegun and later to another former governor of Edo state Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, we feel it is time to try a Senator and a competent hand at that.
“We, therefore, appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President and Speaker, former and serving governors, and all the APC leaders at all levels to support the aspiration of Senator Mohammed Sani Musa from Niger state to emerge the next national chairman of APC.
“This we believe that governing APC will not regret. We have taken our time to investigate all the aspirants, we have listened to them on various platforms and also read about their plans for the party and therefore come to a conclusion that Senator representing Niger East is currently the best to lead an anti-corruption political party among other indices.”