Group Politics Editor, EZEOCHA NZEH, in this report, examines the roles of the youth wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the further deepening of the crisis that is rocking the party ahead of its February 2022 National Convention

The youth wing of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have allowed itself to be enlisted by the warring gladiators in the unending crisis that has pervaded the party ahead of its February 2020 National Convention

The APC crisis has since the past three weeks, tactically left the shores of the big gladiators as the party’s vulnerable youths have taken over the fight on behalf of their principals in both fronts as there has been series of attack among the APC future leaders, who have no doubt bought over the fight from their different camps

The youth wing of the ruling party gradually entered into different war trenches in support of their principals, with the first salvo been fired by the Mona Mustapha Audu led group of  Progressive Youth Movement (PYM), who last Monday, announced the sacking of the Governor Mai Mala Buni -led Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

Mona and his team had at a press briefing, sacked the CECPC, and announced the constitution of another Caretaker committee under his own leadership to conduct the party’s National Convention on the 26 of February 2022.

The group wasted no time to zone the party’s national chairmanship slot to the North, even as it also set up a National Reconciliation Committee tasked to reconcile all aggrieved members across the country.

Interestingly, the group named Senator Ahmed Lawan, Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives as members of the new 15- member APC Caretaker Committee, which has Hon. Tonye Isokariari as its secretary.

“We are aware of the plethora of issues within the party, our party has had a history of shying away from true reconciliation and in many cases inflicting chastisement on members that should have been rewarded for their effort towards building the APC.

“We will also be setting up a reconciliatory committee to help reconcile aggrieved members within the party. It is clear that in the last couple of years the party has been on a regressive course and it is necessary for all well-meaning party members to roll up our sleeves and do the needful to ensure that we correct the mistakes that have been made to ensure victory in 2023 for all stakeholders.

“I would advise all party members to look inwards and understand the need to do things differently so that we can ensure we win back the trust of the Nigerian people as we move closer to the election year”, the group stated while inaugurating the new CECPC.

Other members of the new CECPC as announced by Mustapha Audu included Vice-Chair North – Tukur Tukur Buratai, Vice-Chair South – Busayo Akinnadeju, South West Representative – Hon. Omowunmi Ogungbaibi, South East Representative – Barr Nonso Nwaebili

The South-South Representative, Prince Godswill Edward, North Central Representative – Dr Ibrahim Abdul
North East Representative –Hon. Ibrahim A Waziri, North West Representative – Bello Bala Shagari, Senate Representative – Sen. Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, House of Representative – Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Physically Challenged – Sajo Xcarf, Youth Representative – Ambassador Dr Young Piero, Women Representative – Hon. Fatima Lawal Rafindadi, Secretary – Hon. Tonye Isokariari.

Rattled by the PYM pronouncement, the Buni led CECPC of the APC wasted no time to issue a swift reaction, as Senator John James Akpanudedehe, Secretary of the Buni’s CECPC in a statement, tagged the action of the APC youths as a felony, describing them as misguided in their quest to usurp the powers which only President Mohammadu Buhari can exercise.

Akpanudoedehe, who accused PYM of been sponsored by agents who are desperate to destroy the ruling party, therefore invited the relevant security agencies to step in and interrogate the activities of the group.

The group also announced a new reconciliation Committee headed by Dr Hassan Saddiq Arrivi and Hon. Gbenga Saka as its secretary, just as it President Mohammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Advisory capacity on the recommendation body which also has four Governors of APC and the Secretary to the government of the Federation as members.

Akpanudedehe said the purported group and membership are unknown to the APC and disowned them totally.

He said, “We have received several enquiries from the media and concerned APC members on the felonious activities of a purported group parading themselves as “Progressive Youth Movement”.

“The purported group and membership are unknown to the Party, its structure or as a registered support group. Hence, we completely disown them and cannot account for their activities or join issues with them.

 “The attention the purported group seeks will not be given to them by the party. We can only advise that the general public completely disregard them.

“Members of this group are not registered members of the APC and are being used by opposition elements and fifth columnists to cause confusion”.

He said the APC leadership has already announced a timeline for its Convention and is business firming up all preparation.

Not satisfied with the statement discrediting the Mustapha Audu led PYM, the Governor Mai Mala Buni ;led CECPC seems not to have rested since the pronouncement by the PYM, as it may have enlisted several other APC youth groups to further discredit and disown them, so as to have relieve with a free hand to complete the CECPC second elongated tenure which will now end in February 2022 with the national convention

The Committee hurriedly summoned an emergency meeting of APC Zonal and State youth leaders as well as critical youth stakeholder at the national secretariat of the party, last Thursday, where they also threatened to sign a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Director General of Department of State Services (DSS) and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, against the Progressive Youth Movement (PYM).

The Zonal and State youth leaders reinstated their unalloyed support for the Buni led CECPC, even as it described the actions of the PYM as irritating and careless.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the group said ‘that we consider any attack on the CECPC as attack on the President, the youth leadership therefore will not entertain any further mischief from any quarters.

“That the Youth leadership of our party will sign a petition to the DSS, the IGP and the AGF to bring to book these imposters who are trying to cause breach of public peace, as APC youth will not tolerate any further attack by some mischief makers on Mr. President and the leadership of the party.

“That all States Youth leaders should take note of all activities of Youth Support Groups in their respective States and in particular the said Group.

“That all Security agencies should take note of any other attempt by the said group to attack the APC or any of her supporters and leaders.”

It earlier observed that “Nigeria as a multiparty democracy operates under the rule of law, and no law, including The Not Too Young to Run Act, confers on any citizen or group under any guise the right of lawlessness or impunity in action, irrespective of actual or perceived grievance(s).”