Less than two months to the February 25 presidential election, two members of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resigned their membership of the party and the council. The development has, however, caused disquiet within the ruling party as the two members cited different reasons for their resignation.
The Assistant Secretary of the North-central Directorate of Mobilization, Ahmed Ibeto, in a letter dated January 3, 2023, which was addressed to the APC Ibelu Central Ward, Magama Local Government, Niger State, said his resignation was due to lack of unity of purpose and unending litigations, among others.
He said: “I write you with all sense of humility, respect and regards as the Chairman of APC, Ibelu Central Ward to convey to you the resignation of my membership of All Progressives Congress from today 3rd January, 2023. “Mr. Chairman, with my many years of active participation in politics and as a former party administrator and elected official into many political offices, I have come to this conclusion for many reasons.
“Chiefly among which are: the absence of unity of purpose among party members and stakeholders occasioned by internal conflicts, unending litigations, internal threats and counter threats of anti-party activities, lack of genuine reconciliation, coupled with lack of commitments and dedications to the success of the party by many stakeholders. For these obvious reasons, I concluded that I can not continue to be a member of the party.”
“Mr. Chairman, by this resignation, I cease to be a member of the Presidential Campaign Council, Assistant Secretary of the North-central Directorate of Mobilization and all organs and committees of the party.”
Also, a member of the Directorate of Youth Mobilization, North-east, Zanna Ali, also said his resignation was based on the inability of the ruling party to present a credible presidential candidate.
The party chieftain, in a letter dated January 1, 2023 and addressed to the Secretary of the Council, Hon. James Faleke, said he decided to put national interest above personal interest, hence, his decision to resign his membership of the party.
According to him, “I humbly wish to write and inform your respected office that I, Zanna Bukar Ali, a member of the Presidential Campaign Council, Directorate of National Youth Mobilization under the distinguished leadership of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the National Coordinator of the National Youth Mobilization of the PCC with serial number 51, National Youth Mobilization, North-east Directorate wish to tender my resignation as a member of the committee forthwith.”
Ali stressed that his resignation applies to all other APC presidential support groups and all other APC support groups that are campaigning for the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and running mate, Kashim Shettima.
He noted that he had been a loyal party member from 2015 till date, with numerous contributions to the party especially in the 2019 presidential campaigns.
Ali added: “I am grateful to my former party and my principal in the party for my appointment as a member of the committee. It is indeed a great honour for me to be part of the committee, but I believe that the national interest supersedes my personal interest.
“And based on the inability of the party to present a credible candidate for Nigerians is another reason why I took my decision as a concerned Nigerian. On this note, I resolved to resign my appointment as a member of the committee.”
