Communique from Conference of APC State Publicity Secretaries Category: REPORTS Published on Wednesday, 03 September 2014 20:30 By Joe Igbokwe Communique - On September 2, 2014, APC State Publicity Secretaries held a summit in Lagos Sojourners Hotel Ikeja, Lagos. The body of State Publicity Secretaries formally constituted a body now known as Conference of APC Publicity Secretaries (CAPS). The aim and objective of the organisation is to sell the brand, the APC. A chairman and six zonal Coordinators were elected to run the affairs of the Conference for a year. They are: Chairman - Engr Joe Igbokwe; North Central Coordinators - Mr Jonathan Vatsa; North East Coordinators – Rev Phineas Padio; North West Coordinator- Engr Yahaya Bashir; South East Coordinator – Arc. Okelo Madukaife; South West Coordinators - Mr Sola Lawal; South South Coordinator – Hon Fortune Panebi The conference reviewed events of national importance and explored ways to reposition the party for the imminent formation of the Central Government in Nigeria in 2015. The conference, therefore, resolved as follows: Osun Gubernatorial Elections The conference notes with satisfaction, the determination of the people of the State of Osun, and the resourcefulness of the APC leadership, nationally and in the state of Osun, in rallying the progressive forces to defeat the party of political predators, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The conference enjoins our great party nationwide to build on this success towards2015 general elections. INEC and Elections The conference does not share in the self-eulogies by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its so-called successes in recent elections in Ekiti and Osun because it is exaggerated. Elections have increasingly become militarised, even to the point of deploying masked security personnel to intimidate and humiliate the electorate. Elections should be carnivals, not war rehearsals and the INEC must give flesh to its rejection of militarised elections in exchange for civil elections. The recently concluded distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) and Continuous Voter registration in some states manifested all the indices of failure. The conference advises INEC to raise its act, take firm corrective measures and stop indulging in ostrich pride, while monumental challenges lie ahead. Consequently, the conference calls on all stakeholders in the nation, particularly the National Assembly, to, as a matter of utmost urgency, return the recommendation of the Justice Uwais panel on electoral reforms to the front burner, particularly as it affects INEC deriving its funding on first line charge; drawn from the Federation Account and independent operatives appointed by the National Judicial Commission to guarantee some measure of independence from political interferences. Impeachment Gale The conference denounces the wind of impeachment blowing across the nation, on the instigation of PDP. We are thankful to the people of Nasarawa State who rose overwhelmingly and gallantly to stop a PDP tragicomedy hatched against the performing Governor of the State, His Excellency, and Alhaji Umar Tanko Al-Makura. Further, the conference advises the Nasarawa State House of Assembly, to desist forthwith from its orchestrated persecution of the governor from on exile in Abuja, under the tele-guidance of a minister in the PDP-controlled federal government, with an ambition to be governor of Nasarawa State through the back door, as the time of reckoning has come. In Enugu State, the PDP has thrown the instruments of governance to the swine by the governor, who instigated the impeachment of the deputy governor, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi, for running a poultry farm, yet turning round dramatically to deploy the impeached public officer as the Deputy Director in the State Civil Service. Meanwhile, the ailing governor and Impeacher-in Chief still runs a farm. Where are the standards? We ask if our nation must be allowed to degenerate into a mushroom society under the careless watch of the PDP. Our answer is NEVER! Adamawa Bye Elections The PDP, having forced an illegal impeachment on Adamawa State, is now seeking to employ any crooked machinery to return the state to the path of retrogression. The APC is, however, prepared to set the people of Adamawa free. CAPS hereby demands the suspension of the state of emergency in Adamawa State, which has the barest minimum of insurgence ,or at the least, lift the dusk-to- dawn curfew from this week to rid the electioneering atmosphere of fear or encumbrances and pave the way for free and fair elections. The conference is highly pleased with the transparent process put in place by the APC national leadership for the conduct of the Adamawa State governorship primaries and trust that the successful management of yet another clean, free and process, which the APC is reputed for, will lead to a resounding victory for the APC in the Adamawa bye-elections. Niger East Senatorial Polls CAPS also reviewed the so-called ‘inconclusive’ senatorial election in the Niger East Senatorial Zone and observed with dismay, a plethora of spurious developments. It is the right of the people of Niger East to freely choose their senator. We hereby urge them and the entire people of Niger State to be vigilant and forestall the collusion between the PDP and key officials of the INEC to rob the people of their free choice of an APC candidate, which is now about to be truncated, as was done in Ekiti and Anambra states. Delta LG Elections CAPS is glad to note that, finally, LG elections will hold in Delta State on October 25, 2014. We hereby put the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DELSIEC) on notice that a serious organisation is now watching out for nothing less than a clean process, leading to a free and fair contest. APC LG Publicity Machinery The conference hereby request all members ( State Publicity Secretaries) to work in tandem with their State Chairmen to raise the necessary structures and infrastructures to realise the aims and objectives of CAPS and the vision and mission of the APC in all Local Government Areas (LGAs) in their respective states. Gratitude Finally, CAPS wish to express its deep appreciation to Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and the Lagos State APC Chairman Otunba Oladele Ajomale for supporting the inaugural meeting of the conference. Jonathan Vatsa (North Central) Hon .Fortune Panebi (South South) Rev Phineas Padio (North East) Arc. Okelo Madukaife (South East) Engr Yahaya Bashir (North West) Mr Sola Lawal (South West) Engr. Joe Igbokwe (Chairman)
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 08:36:37 +0000
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