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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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AD convention may hold today despite conflicting signals
AHEAD of a convention of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) scheduled to hold today in Lagos, the Chief Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa faction of the party yesterday stormed the Abuja headquarters of the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) brandishing a copy of a court order stopping the meeting.
The order is restraining the electoral body or any group from holding any convention until the determination of a suit filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
However, the chairman of the convention committee, Alhaji Sule Hassan told The Guardian yesterday that the planned convention is not a factional one but a unifying forum to resolve the problems in the party.
According to Hassan, the convention committee has been enlarged to accommodate one executive member of the Akinfenwa faction, Honourable Tunde Salau.
Today's convention, however, may not be solely an internal affair of the party, as it is expected to attract eminent progressive politicians across country.
Observers expected at the event as a mark of solidarity with the party include: Chief Anthony Enahoro, chairman of the Movement for National Reformation; Alhaji Balarabe Musa, chairman of Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP); Chief Chekwas Okorie, chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA); Chief Arthur Nwankwo of the People's Mandate Party (PMP); Chief Ralph Obiora of Justice Party; Chief Charles Nwodu of Progressive Action Congress (PAC); and Chief Maxi Okwu, the secretary of the CNPP, among others.
The Guardian learnt that the politicians decided on a show of support for the convention because they believe that the ability of the party to overcome its present crisis, will pave way for the formation of the Grand Progressive Alliance, which is expected to be used as a platform to checkmate the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in 2007.
Chairman of the convention committee Alhaji Sule Hassan confirmed their participation yesterday.
However, Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political group seemed divided over the new convention.
While the acting leader of the group, Chief Ruben Fasoranti insisted that Afenifere is not in support of the convention, a statement signed by the acting national publicity secretary of the group, Mr. Yinka Odumakin, said that Afeniferes Central Working Committee (CWC), which met on Monday at the national headquarters has agreed to support the convention.
It directed all Afenifere members to fully participate in today's convention to restore peace and progress to the party.
Besides, Odumakin said in the statement that in order to reposition the group for immediate and future challenges, a national congress of the association will be held on October 5, at the Jibowu headquarters of the group in Lagos.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the also said that unlike in the past, today's convention will be supervised by the acting chairman of the AD, Chief Michael Koleoso.
On the position of INEC, he noted that the Central Working Committee of the party had written to inform the electoral body of the convention and that INEC had since replied the party asking it to go ahead.
Already, over 4,000 delegates have reportedly arrived in Lagos, from Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states for the convention, which is also to be attended by Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu, former governors of Ogun, Chief Segun Osoba; Ekiti, Niyi Adebayo; and Osun, Bisi Akande, who is running for the national chairmanship alongside Hon. Wale Osun and Prof. Shola Adeyeye.
Yesterday however, the Akinfenwa faction stormed the Abuja headquarters of the INEC with the copy of an order restraining the electoral body or any group from holding any convention until the determination of a suit filed before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Curiously, Afenifere has also fixed a meeting at Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State for today.
Akinfenwa told in reporters in Osogbo, Osun State in a telephone interview that the court order was handed over to the acting chairman of INEC, Fidelis Nwankwo, the electoral body's secretary and chairman of INEC political committee.
Akinfenwa, said he was at the INEC office with the factional national secretary, Dr. Manzo Abubakar and the national publicity secretary, Mallam Rafiu Salau.
The electoral body, he said, would not honour the Lagos convention "as doing so will constitute illegality and a null and void exercise".
He stated further "our people all over the country should remain calm and unruffled. What will be produced in Lagos tomorrow (today) would be another still baby".
Akinfenwa expressed surprise that Koleoso reportedly backed today's AD convention: "Koleoso did not know the law. If he knows the implication of what he wants to do, he would have known that it is contempt of the court".
The former AD leader in the Senate disclosed that Afenifere would be holding its meeting today where the position of the groups on the AD issue would be discussed.
"From the inception Afenifere as an unbiased umpire, has stated it clearly that I am the authentic chairman of the party. That position has not changed. So, Afenifre is not part of another Lagos jamboree," Akinfenwa said.
In separate telephone chats with The Guardian yesterday, some Afenifere leaders took contradictory positions regarding the Ijebu-Igbo meeting and the Lagos convention.
Chief Supo Shonibare, Lagos Vice Chairman of Afenifere said the Ijebu-Igbo meeting where the elders' report on resolution of the AD crisis, among others, would be discussed, had been fixed long ago.
Asked if the meeting was not to jeopardise the convention, he said the meeting was fixed long before the convention and wondered why the Lagos convention was fixed for the same date.
However, the national administrative secretary, Odumakin said he was not aware of the Ijebu-Igbo meeting.
According to him, Afenifere would be holding a forum at the Jibowu, Lagos National Secretariat of the group next Tuesday.
According to him, the Ijebu-Igbo meeting might have been fixed by the "Akure Afenifere," to scuttle today's convention of the AD.
Fasoranti, the acting chairman of Afenifere, who is from Akure presided over a leadership meeting that endorsed the Akinfenwa faction.
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