Nahum Sule, Jalingo
A Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and a Board Chairman of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Mr. Ezekiel Irimiya Afukonyo, has said that some external forces are trying to destabilize the party especially in Southern part of the state.
Afukonyo a gubernatorial aspirant in the state for four times stated this in a press conference in Wukari on Thursday. He added that the battle for the soul of APC has become unprecedentedly heightened because the party is gleaming towards glory in the state.
He however, noted that him and others who have kept the party running over the years would not allow those plotting scatter the party to succeed in their plans.
Afukonyo assert that “In the APC, it is true that we have personal interests but we are not allowing that to cloud our sense of purpose. In the southern Taraba here, for instance, Chief David Kente and I are the major aspirants for the governorship ticket but we didn’t allow that from uniting our forces to tackle some external forces who wanted to come through the window and highjack the party structure at the last ward congresses.
“As a state, there were disagreements from several quarters but as Chairman of the reconciliation committee, we were able to address these differences quickly and proceeded with the congresses amicably.
“We know that there are so many people out there who want to join the party. The APC is big enough to accommodate everyone. All you need to do is come through the door as tens of thousands have been doing and you will be welcomed rather than staying in another political party and scheming to take over the structure you have not contributed anything to build” he said.
Speaking to the youth in the state about political participation he urged them “to get constructively engaged in politics rather than allowing themselves to be used as thugs and dumped after election as their value after the election can only be determined by their innovative and civilized contributions towards the victory of the party rather than mundane service as agents of chaos, confusion and destabilization” he said.
It could be recalled that the APC congress which was rocked by skirmished in many parts of Southern Taraba became fierce in many areas over speculated attempts to install sympathizers, a Taraba PDP and the member representing Ibi-Wukari Federal Constituency Mr Danjuma Usman Sidi as ward excos.
Trouble started at the Zonal Office of the APC in Wukari, when some members of the Party attempted to hijack materials meant for the Ward Congress.
