External Forces Plotting To Destabilize APC in Taraba – Chieftain
BY AMEH IDUJAGI, JALINGO – A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Mr. Ezekiel Irmiya Afukonyo has alleged that some external forces are trying to destabilize the party in the state, especially in the Southern part of the state.
Afukonyo, who is the Board Chairman of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital and a four times governorship aspirant in the state, stated this at a press conference in Wukari.
He said that the battle for the soul of APC has become unprecedentedly heightened because the party is now the only hope for the future.
He accused a serving Senator from the state for infiltrating some APC members and trying to use them to take over the structure of the party during the last party’s ward congresses.
According to him; “In the APC, it is true that we have personal interests but we are not allowing that to becloud our sense of purpose. In the Southern Taraba here, for instance, Chief David Kente and I are the major aspirants for the governorship ticket but we didn’t allow that from uniting our forces to tackle some external forces who wanted to come through the window and highjack the party structure at the last ward congresses.
“As a state, there were disagreements from several quarters but as Chairman of the reconciliation committee, we were able to address these differences quickly and proceeded with the congresses amicably.
“We know that there are so many people out there who want to join the party. The APC is big enough to accommodate everyone. All you need to do is come through the door as tens of thousands have been doing and you will be welcomed rather than staying in another political party and scheming to take over the structure you have not contributed anything to build,” he said.
Afukonyo urged youths in the state to get constructively engaged in politics rather than allowing themselves to be used as thugs and dumped after election, saying that their value after the election can only be determined by their innovative and civilized contributions towards the victory of the party rather than mundane service as agents of chaos, confusion and destabilization.
The APC congress which was rocked by skirmished in many parts of Southern Taraba became fierce in many areas over speculated attempts to install sympathizers of a Taraba PDP and the member representing Ibi-Wukari Federal Constituency Mr Danjuma Usman Sidi as ward executives.
Trouble started at the Zonal Office of the APC in Wukari, when some members of the Party attempted to hijack materials meant for the Ward Congress.
Our Correspondent reports that the Congress held across the 168 wards of Taraba State witnessed power flexing among critical stakeholders of the party who battled hard to reach a compromise on how ward leaders of the APC in Taraba State should emerged.
Meanwhile, while Senator Yusuf A Yusuf took control of the Central Zone, Chief David Sabo Kente and other stakeholders held on to the Southern Zone while in the Northern Taraba, the Minister of Power, Mr. Sale Mamman lost his attempt to control Taraba North to two former acting governors from the Zone, Alhaji Sani Danladi and Alhaji Garba Umar despite his insistence on going for a contest as against consensus agreed by majority of the stakeholders from the zone.
