KATSINA APC AQIDA PETITIONS APC NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

26th September 2017

The National Chairman,

All Progressives Congress,

National Headquarters,

Wuse II,

Abuja.
Dear Sir,

SOME NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN APC KATSINA STATE: A CALL FOR INTERVENTION.

The Distinguished National Chairman may wish to recall the negative events that characterized the 2015 primary elections in Katsina State, which included brazen acts of impunity, unconstitutionality and brigandage. These acts, as Your Excellency may recall, were reported to the National Headquarters. Mr. Chairman may equally re-call that many party members, including some then Gubernatorial candidates, made their reservations, grumblingsand protestations known to the National Headquarters for the purpose of putting what happened on record and for the party tointerven.

It was our candid view then that the Katsina State Primary elections were conducted devoid of any political or democratic decency and norms and did not measure-up to the provisions of the constitution of the APC and all laid-down primary elections guidelines and procedure. However, despite our deep misgivings, we decided to mobilise and work for the success of the party to comply with your personal appeals to us and to avoid endangering the greatervictory of our Presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari and the party at all levels of the 2015 Elections.

But as Mr. Chairman may recall that skewed electoral process{primary elections}left the APC in Katsina State with serious flashpoints across the length and breadth of the state. While your intervention and appeals, and in our view, the standing and popularity of General Muhammadu Buhari, led our great party to achieve 100% success in the 2015 elections at all levels in Katsina State, there were still doubts in the minds of many APC stalwarts and supporters as to whether Hon Aminu Bello Masari {then Gubernatorial candidate} would be a good Governor for the state. Knowing his antecedents. Many party members and ordinary citizens in the state and some independent observers, strongly doubted his capacity or ability to march the aspirations, expectations, and hopes of the people of the state.

Alas! Shortly after his being sworn-in and taking control of machinery of government, Governor Aminu Masari chose not to disappoint his doubters. First, he embarked upon the systematic and deliberate decimation of the party by building his close team around former PDP elements including those who voted for then President Goodluck Jonathan and Musa Nashuni, the PDP Gubernatorial candidate in the 2015 Elections. Such individualsinclude the current Commissioner of Works and the Commissioner for Local Government and numerous other Special Advisers and Special Assistants. True to like majority of these appointees were {still are} the personal aides Masari’s political mentor, godfather and financier, in the person of a standing member of the PDP and up to date an ally of President Goodluck Jonathan. Consequently, since 2015, our party in the state has become an extension of the business empire of this individual.

To most APC stalwarts who worked for the Party and who have committed their time, energy and resources for the party and in support of General Muhammadu Buhari since 2003 these acts symbolize stark political humiliationextra-ordinaire. They could not and still cannot fathom, understand or comprehend why they, who sacrificed everything for the success of the APC, have been completely abandoned and disregarded by thesame party they gave their all to or its flagbearer and leader in the state.

Secondly, the Governor decided to render the party leadership from the state level to the wards ineffective and impotent. After appointing the elected State Party Chairman, Secretary to the State Government, he decided to single-handedly elevate an incompetent, uneducated surrogate in the person of the State Publicity Secretary of the Party as Chairman of the Party contrary to the statutory provisions of the APC constitution regarding replacement of party officers. This, the Governor did without consultation with any stake-holder. As Your Excellency is fully aware, the APC constitution has clear and unambiguous provisions for the removal and replacement of party officers particularly the party chairman.

Additionally, since his appointment {not election} of the current State “Chairman” Statutory meetings, as required by the party constitution, were never summoned across the entire party structures and organs at all levels contrary. Additionally, constitutional provisions with respect to party finances are being violated with impunity on daily basis. These constitutional violations also extend to the disregard for provisions in respect of filling of party vacancies which are unabatedly violated with impunity as for example, in the replacement of the National Welfare Officer, who was appointed Director-General of SMEDAN. The effect of all these are clear as crystal.

Equally, neither the State Party Leadership nor the State Governor deems it necessary or vital to consult with genuine party members, apparatchik, supporters or stalwarts on any matter affecting the party or the administration. In fact, “new stake-holders” mostly former PDP members have been appointed to replace most of us. In other words, there is utter neglect of genuine party members in administration and governance. We find this reprehensible.

Furthermore, it is so clear to every citizen of the state that there is an abysmal lack of performance by the Governor and the state administration. Till date, the governor has not initiated, executed or completed any project of any significance. We are of the view that if he had executed any project, the National Chairman or other officers of the Party would have heard about it in the news, {or even through rumour mills} or perhaps would have been invited for the commissioning ceremony in Katsina, as other Governors do. The resulting effect for this non-performance is that APC standing and support is eroding state-wide.

At the Local Government Administration level, the situation is worst. The Governor has blatantly and with almost an un-marched arrogance in the history of our state, refused to organize local government elections contrary to the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 {as amended} and the provisions of the Katsina State Local Government Law {2000}. As Your Excellency is aware, being a former Governor of a state, Sections 7 and 8 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria state Local Government Areas shall be governed by democratically elected Councils and that the State House of Assembly shall provide for their administration, finance and other matters. The Katsina State Local Government Law of 2000 also makes similar provisions. And the expectation of our people is that the APC government in Katsina will be better than the uprooted PDP administration of Ibrahim ShehuShema, by adhering to state laws and the constitution of the Federal Republic. Unfortunately, this is not the case. To most Katsina people, by this singular act of the governor the APC has let them down and dashed their hopes and aspirations.

Furthermore, the Katsina state government’s refusal to organize local government elections has put into confusion and chaos never seen in the state administration and governance in all local areas. The consequence of this unfortunately is the collapse of the local governments. Instead of simply adhering to the above mentioned legal provisions, the Governor chose to allow the LGA’s administration and finances in the hands of civil servants, most likely for his easy and effective manipulations. In fact, today, no one knows how monies for local governments are spent, who spends them, for what purpose and under whose authority and directives.

Predictably, the APC administration in Katsina State has completely derailed from the pristine values of the APC and the change mantra to the disappointment of the teemingAPC following who were yearning for years for true change in their lives. Mr. Chairman will agree with us that such situation will eventually weaken the cohesion, strength and drive of our party in this critical phase of our political evolution and considering the stakes in the next general elections in 2019, it is imperative that the Party at the National level intervenes as quickly as possible.

It is for these and many other reasons that we and thousands of our teeming supporters decided to bring to your kind attention these unfair and undemocratic acts and attitude of Governor AminuMasari. Mr. Chairman may wish to note, as one of the founders of our party that the APC was formed to right the wrongs of the PDP during its 16 years of mis-governance. We know and strongly believe that our party was founded on the virtues of equity, fairness, justice and respect for internal democracy. None of these currently exist in Katsina state.

While, we humbly await your kind intervention, once again, in this matter, we wish to notify the Party that we will not just fold our hands and allow remnants of the PDPand the old order to destroy our party. It is therefore our intention to challenge these injustices and the undemocratic behaviour of our Governor and his motely of FAKE agents of change.

Your Excellency, sir, please remain blessed, and kindly accept the assurances of our highest esteem.

Chairman

KATSINA STATE APC AKIDA

Una never start.......

Whatever join them, will scatter them.

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