The newly elected factional chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kano State, Ahmadu Haruna Zago, has said his faction had conducted a lawful congress recognised by the national headquarters of the party.
While Mr Danzago emerged chairman in a congress held in Janguza, an area located on the outskirt of Kano city, Abdullahi Abbas emerged chairman in the state-backed congress held at Sani Abacha Stadium.
But in an interview with DAILY NIGERIAN on Sunday night, Mr Danzago said the congress conducted by the faction led by the state governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, is null and void as it neither satisfied the requirements of the law nor the support of the national secretariat of the party.
“Our congress is the one recognised by law and APC headquarters. We satisfied all the requirements needed. The reference made by the national headquarters is to those who conducted a parallel congress not us.
“First of all, Abdullahi Abbas never paid tax and did not resign as caretaker chairman before the conduct of the congress. In his documents submitted to the party headquarters, there is no tax clearance certificate.
“Secondly, our result was announced by Professor Mohammed Sani Bello, who was sent by the APC headquarters to supervise our congress. Now tell me the name of the person who supervised their parallel congress.
“Secondly, they did consensus when other candidates when there are other contestants who wanted to participate in the process. But in our case, although Nura Hassan Ungogo and Babanlungu withdrew for me, the election was conducted nevertheless,” Mr Danzago said.
But when DAILY NIGERIAN contacted Mr Abbas, he refuted all the claims made by Mr Danzago, saying APC headquarters did not recognize any faction in the state.
He said the national headquarters of APC only deals with the Ganduje-led APC in the state, and it sent Congress Committee that was vetted by the police and other security agents.
Mr Abbas also said officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, supervised their election as provided by the law, while Mr Danzago’s parallel congress was not supervised by INEC.
On the alleged non-payment of tax, he said he included his recent tax clearance certificate in the form he submitted to the party secretariat.
“It is even laughable to say I did not include tax clearance certificate in my form. We ensured that every requirement of the law was met,” he said.
On the allegations of resignation, Mr Abbas said he resigned 34 days before the election. “Although as a caretaker chairman, I need not even resign, but in order to plug all the legal loopholes, I resigned on the 12th September, 2021, which was 34 days to the congress. So what is talking about?”
Mr Abbas’ resignation letter and tax clearance certificate seen by DAILY NIGERIAN lend credence to his claims.
APC Headquarters condemns parallel congresses
The APC headquarters in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, said only exercises conducted by duly inaugurated State Congress Committees would be recognised by the party.
“We had to focus on internal democracy and the charge by the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari, that the party be returned to the people,” Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, said.
“Card-carrying party members came out enmasse to elect executives who will take charge of APC affairs across the states for the next four years.
“However, our attention has been drawn to reports of so-called and purported parallel Congresses. The purported parallel Congresses are futile activities.
“It is very strange to the party. Our Constitution and the guidelines for the conduct of the State and other Congresses provide that only exercises conducted by duly-inaugurated State Congress Committees are recognised by the party.”
