Contrary to the announcement by the National Vice Chairman( South-South) of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Ntufam Efa that the zone had endorsed Mr Adams Oshiomhole as their candidate for the chairmanship of the party at the upcoming APC National Convention, chairmen of four state chapters of the party from the South-South have dissociated themselves from the said endorsement.

Going by a communique made available to People&Power, the four APC State Chairmen who have dissociated themselves from the purported endorsement are: Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, Rivers State ; Mr Etim John, Cross River State ; Dr Amadu Attai , Akwa Ibom State and Deacon Joseph Fafi , Bayelsa State.

Following is the full text of the communique.

COMMUNIQUE BY THE ALL PROGRESSIVES CONGRESS, APC, SOUTH-SOUTH ZONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ISSUED AT THE END OF ITS MEETING  HELD AT THE GOVERNMNT HOUSE, BENIN CITY, EDO STATE ON MONDAY 23RD APRIL, 2018

 

At the end of the APC State Chairmen and South-South Zonal Executive Committee meeting held at the Government House Benin City, Edo State on Monday, 23rdApril, 2018, the following decisions were duly reached by the State Chairmen and Executive members of Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States as follows:

  1. That the afore-mentioned four (4) State Chairmen out of the six (6) Chairmen of the zone and the executive committee members from their states reject attempts by the South-South APC Zonal Vice Chairman, Prince Hilliard Eta, to railroad members present in the meeting into adopting the former governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the candidate of the South-South zone for the national chairmanship position at the forthcoming national convention.
  1. It is our conviction that whereas Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and indeed all qualified members of the party in the zone are free to offer themselves for service to our great party, however, the zonal committee believes that for the sake of justice and fairness, as always expressed by our leader, President Muhammadu Buhari on all matters,  the incumbent Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, should be given the first choice of refusal to contest the national chairmanship position at the forthcoming national convention of our party.
  1. That the four (4) APC State Chairmen of Rivers, Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa States and our members of the zonal executive committee dissociate ourselves from the attempt to deny a level playing field for all aspirants and particularly attempts to shut out Chief John Odigie-Oyegun from the contest beforehand. We believe that everybody in the zone should be given equal opportunity and a level playing field to express and pursue their aspirations as they may deem fit.
  1. We condemn in totality the attempts by the South-South Zonal Vice Chairman, Hilliard Eta and Governor Godwin Obaseki to impose Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the adopted candidate of the South-South zone for the position of national chairman at the forthcoming national convention of our great party. We re-affirm our commitment to resolutely canvass that justice, fairness and equity be upheld all through the process that will lead to, and including, the national convention.
  1. For the avoidance of doubt, we re-iterate that, at the said meeting, State Chairmen and the Zonal Executive Committee members present NEVER adopted Comrade Adams Oshiomhole as the national chairmanship candidate of the zone for the national convention. We call on all party leaders, faithful and the general public to disregard any information contrary to that elucidated herewith.

Signed for and on behalf of delegates of our states thus:

  1. Chief Davies Ibiamu Ikanya, JP      – State Chairman (Rivers)
  1. Mr. Etim John                           – State Chairman (Cross River)
  1. Dr. Amadu Attai                          – State Chairman (Akwa Ibom)
  1. Deacon Joseph Fafi                        – State Chairman (Bayelsa