The All Progressives Congress (APC) has just concluded parallel ward and local government congresses but is currently facing intra-party crises in 23 states.
Among the 23 states that hosted parallel meetings, the newly established nine-member reconciliation committee chaired by former Nasarawa Governor Adamu Abdullahi are faced with quickly resolving crises in five states before the party’s October 2nd congress.
The three must-resolve, are listed as Lagos, where five factions have emerged, Ogun, where three factions technically exist and Osun, where the two dominant factions have remained on the street, tearing at each other’s cloth.
The party branch in Ekiti State is also involved in a factional crisis, but considering that APC national leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s loyalists have taken their case to court against Governor Fayemi, the issue in the state is not of utmost importance to the reconciliation committee
The crisis in the Ogun State APC lies mainly between Senator Ibikunle Amosun loyalists and Governor Dapo Abiodun’s faction who is backed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. While the third group are loyal to former governor Aremo Olusegun Osoba, who is not affiliated with any of the two groups
Although the Lagos 4 Lagos/Oki combination achieved great success in the final list of ward executives and was endorsed by the national headquarters, APC Lagos State Chapter still has five factions claiming supremacy.
In Apapa LGA, the current caretaker chairman of Lagos, Tunde Balogun, is a loyal supporter of Lagos4Lagos, led by Olajide Adediran, who almost took over all important positions. Balogun swore in, all the ward chairmen, endorsed by Abuja, losing his base.
Lagos4Lagos also held a local government congress at the same time and submitted a separate list of winners to the national headquarters, just like the ward congress, it has largely entered into the final national collation.
But Fouad Oki tried to overthrow Balogun saying there was no consensus was reached regarding the matter.
Another breakaway faction known as the Conscience group is led by Mr Moshood Salvador, a former state chairman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The fifth faction is known as AMCON (Ambode Campaign Organization), apparently former governor, Akinwunmi Ambode’s loyalists.
In addition to the three southwestern states, the reconciliation committee originally scheduled to be inaugurated this week would try to visit Anambra, where the gubernatorial election is imminent, and the party’s faithful are geared up towards Senator Andy Uba, and Zamfara state where Governor Mataval has the full support of Abuja but is finding it difficult to assert his presence as the leader of the state branch.
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Other states being rocked by internal faction battles include Kwara, Imo, Delta, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, Rivers, among others.
