Chief Bisi Akande, the Chairman, Reconciliation Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has berated members of the party over increasing number of court cases within the fold.<\/p>\n
Issues concerning the leadership of the ruling party have generated in-fighting in the party with many seeking the removal of the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.<\/p>\n
A Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court had recently suspended Oshiomhole pending the determination of a suit seeking his removal as National Chairman of APC.<\/p>\n
But, a Kano Federal High Court set aside the ruling and ordered Oshiomhole to resume office.<\/p>\n
This is just one of the numerous court cases involving members of the party and Akande noted that this is not the best for the party\u2019s image. The party chieftain and elder statesman pointed to the party\u2019s constitution which is being undermined by members who decide to approach the court.<\/p>\n
In a statement he personally signed and made available to DAILY POST on Sunday morning, Akande warned that members should allow the committee to do its work and should stop seeking judicial intervention in matters under the purview of the special committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have noticed with growing concern the increasing number of court cases being filed pertaining to disputes regarding the leadership of our party, the All Progressives Congress.<\/p>\n
\u201cCompetition and different views on leadership are inherent in political parties. Thus, the fact that all party members do not agree on all things is not abnormal.<\/p>\n
\u201cPolitics, after all, is, in significant degree, the art of resolving conflicts and disputes in a manner that strengthens institutions as well as relationships between the people who share those common institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe APC is a democratic body. This means we seek to resolve internal conflict through dialogue, deliberation and ultimately through open and transparent voting procedures.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsequently, I am a bit taken aback by the swift resort to the courts by some members who seek external decisions on what are intrinsically internal matters best determined by the deliberative process that is part and parcel of democratically-oriented party politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not know the motivations behind this litigious conduct. It is not in my nature to ascribe negative or harmful motives to anyone. Those seeking access to the courts to decide what are basically politic questions perhaps think they are doing the right thing. If this is the case, I must state that they are innocently in error.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir actions are harmful to the party in compound ways. First, the subject matter they bring before the court is not amenable to judicial pronouncement.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe manner by which court decisions are rendered \u2013 one side wins, the other loses \u2013 is not the best way to resolve political disputes.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgain, such disputes are better treated by dialogue and the give-and-take that dialogue engenders. Courts do not proceed in such a manner.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecond, to resort to the courts casts the party in a negative public light. Third, this penchant for litigation undermines party discipline, internal dispute resolution mechanisms and institutions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI must remind party members the party constitution requires that all internal dispute resolution measures be exhausted before a member carries a matter to court. I dare say this provision has not been honoured either in spirit or in letter by those initiating these court cases seeking to oust party officials.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore specifically, along with several other respected party members, I have been appointed as a member of the party\u2019s special reconciliation committee. I have been given the further honour to be the committee chairman.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis committee was the product of discussion and deliberation of party organs such as the NWC and NEC. No one has contended that this committee was improperly established.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe committee mandate was to investigate and submit recommendations regarding the dispute in Edo state involving National Party Chairman Oshiomole and Governor Obaseki as well as inquire into disputes in other states that might weaken the party.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll party members are aware of this decision. Thus, it runs contrary to the explicit decision of the party and is severely premature for members to seek judicial intervention in areas that form the very subject matter of the special committee\u2019s mandate.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo do this even before the committee has had time to do and finish its work not only insults the committee, it offends the NWC, NEC and the entire party.<\/p>\n
\u201cConsequently, I call on all party members to honor the rightful and correct decisions of the party leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cMembers should allow the committee to do its work and should stop seeking judicial intervention in matters under the purview of the special committee until the committee has done its work and the party leadership has acted upon its recommendations.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor members to act otherwise would be to discard the party constitution and ignore the tenets of deliberation and compromise upon which all successful political parties are founded.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chief Bisi Akande, the Chairman, Reconciliation Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has berated members of the party over increasing number of court cases within the fold. Issues concerning the leadership of the ruling party have generated in-fighting in the party with many seeking the removal of the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole. A […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":15169,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,14],"tags":[1449,1115],"class_list":["post-22633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-policy","tag-bisi","tag-dasuki-nakande"],"yoast_head":"\n