APC faces cash crunch, owes workers August salary – Newstrends
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APC faces cash crunch, owes workers August salary

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Despite generating billions of naira from the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms during the recently concluded primaries, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is having difficulties footing its bills, credible party sources told Daily Trust.

The sources said the party has not paid the allowances of members of the committee that conducted the primaries in states just as chairmanship aspirants are yet to get a refund of the N20m they paid for forms as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the national convention of the party.

It was also gathered that the party has not paid the August salary of its workers at the national secretariat.

During its primaries between April and June, the ruling party raked in over N29bn from the sale of forms.

APC bigwigs across the country had thronged Abuja city and bought forms for the primaries, which were conducted between April and June 2022.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 25, 2023, for presidential and National Assembly elections while governorship and state assembly elections have been slated for March 11.

The APC top echelon had moved the venue for the purchase of forms from its national headquarters to the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja, where presidential, governorship, senatorial, House of Representatives and Houses of Assembly aspirants picked their forms.

Daily Trust had reported how the ruling party raked in over N29bn from the sale of forms which started in April and ended in May 2022.

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The APC had pegged its presidential forms at N100m, governorship, N50m, senatorial, N20m, N10m for House of Representatives and N2m for state house of assembly aspirants

The National Organising Secretary of the party, Sulaiman Argungu, had told newsmen in Abuja that 145 aspirants bought governorship forms, 351 obtained forms to contest senatorial primaries, 1,197 picked forms for the House of Representatives, while 28 presidential aspirants also obtained their forms.

He, however, did not give a breakdown of the number of state houses of assembly aspirants that bought forms.

A source said part of the money generated was set aside for logistics while part of it was used for the hiring of venues mostly hotels for various screening exercises. He said part of it would be used for the 2023 campaigns.

He said, “Well, part of the money went for renting of venues for various exercises,” adding that the money used for printing of forms was equally removed after the exercise.

But some staff of the APC National Secretariat who spoke with our correspondent in confidence lamented that they did not know how the money was being spent as they were allegedly suffering under the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC).

One of them from the North Central said, “It baffles me. Our welfare is not guaranteed under the current leadership. Despite the money the party raised, we had nothing to take home during Eid-el Fitri. Rather, the leadership of the secretariat wrote to governors to make provisions for the Sallah package. Consequently, the governors gave it a deaf ear pointing to billions generated from the sale of forms. That is the situation.”

Another staff said, “I have been there since the merger. What has been the tradition is that we get paid no later than the 25th of every month. And we get a Sallah bonus.

“We enjoyed it during Oshiomhole. We enjoyed it during the Buni-led caretaker committee. We do get paid on the 23rd of the month sometimes under Buni as circumstances would warrant.  But things are different now.

“Now our August salary is pending. Do you know the danger? Schools have reopened; we have to pay school fees. The cost of feeding is high. No August salary yet. September will soon end. This is not fair.”

C’ttee members yet to be paid, 3 months after 

A chieftain of the party, Chief Jackson Lekan Ojo, however, said, “The party has not even paid the allowances of committee members sent to states to conduct primaries. So this requires a probe. The account of the party should be probed. Either monkey or snake must have swallowed the money.”

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Ojo said, “Where is the money? Why are the staff of the party dying of hunger? Why can’t the national secretariat of the party be maintained? Are they the ones to sponsor the 2023 elections?”

The party is still in debt despite the humongous amount of money it generated from the sale of forms.

Our correspondent reports that members of the APC appointed into committees to conduct primary elections for elective offices nationwide are still crying out over the non-payment of their allowances.

The party had constituted committees for the conduct of presidential, governorship, national and state assemblies’ primary polls ahead of the 2023 general elections.

A member of one of the committees told Daily Trust that they had not been paid despite several promises by the NWC.

Another member of the committee from the North-East geopolitical zone said they submitted their account details two months ago.

“We have not been paid. They requested our bank details two months ago but we have not been paid. They keep on telling us that our allowances are being processed. This is not good for our party,” a chieftain of the party said, pleading not to be named.

Chairmanship aspirants yet to get refund, despite Buhari order 

Similarly, some ex-chairmanship aspirants who stepped down for the current National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu during the February Convention that produced him, said they were yet to be refunded their money spent on the expression of interest and nomination forms as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

One of the chairmanship aspirants, Sunny Sylvester Moniedafe (Jagaban Jimeta) from Adamawa State confirmed to our correspondent in a telephone chat yesterday that the party has not refunded their money.

He said, “They have not refunded it. I am worried honestly. They have not paid us. I don’t want to complain but this is not right at all.

 “Somebody called us and said we should give details of our accounts, but for over a month now, nothing has happened.”

The APC had sold its expression of interest and nomination forms for chairmanship aspirants at the rate of N20m.

We’re using funds to run party affairs – Spokesperson 

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Barrister Felix Morka told Daily Trust in a telephone chat yesterday that the party is spending the money on running the party.

He said, “The party is spending its funds in the administration of the party; in running the party.

“We just came out of the primaries. The party was heavily interested to ensure that the primaries were conducted up to the standard or expectation of the party.

“All of the expenditures were undertaken to execute the programme of the primary for the party. We had moved from one state to the other in line with the Electoral Act for the party to conduct free, fair and effective primaries,” he said.

On the non-payment of members of the committee that served during the primaries, he said, “many have been paid and the process is still ongoing.”

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6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

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6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

Six Labour Party (LP) members of the Enugu State House of Assembly have officially defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

They made their defection known on Thursday in Enugu in a letter read by the Speaker, Chief Uche Ugwu, during plenary.

The defectors include the Majority Leader, Mr Johnson Ani (Enugu North); the Chief Whip, Mr Ejike Eze, (Igbo-Eze North 1); and the Deputy Chief Whip, Ms Princess Ugwu (Enugu South Rural).

Others are Mr Pius Ezugwu (Nsukka East); Mr Williams Amuka (Igbo-Etiti West); and Mr Osita Eze (Oji River).

The defectors, in the letters, said their defection was as a result of the existence of irreconcilable division, incessant crisis within the labour party at the national level and across all the state chapters.

They regretted that the party had evolved into perpetual discord with various factions embroiled in legal battles, which undermine its ability to effectively serve the interest of the people.

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According to them, the Labour Party, once considered a beacon of hope for progressive ideas, have regrettably become synonymous with internal squabbles, thereby reducing its capacity to fulfil the aspirations of electorates.

They cited the cases of Mr Julius Abure and Mr Limido Apapa factions as well as the national treasurer as some of the divisions within the party.

They expressed the hope that the PDP would give them the platform to continue to serve the interests of their people and thanked the leaderships of Labour Party for their supports.

The defectors also acknowledge that the letters were sent to the office of the Speaker by themselves, adding that they would work wholeheartedly for the progress of their new party in Enugu State.

In his remark, the Speaker welcomed the defectors into the PDP and promised that they would be carried along in the legislative activities of the House.

With the defection, the PDP now had the majority in the House with 17 members while LP had only six members.

6 Labour Party lawmakers defect to PDP

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More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover

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More drama at LP as BoT announces takeover

  • NLC rejects Abure re-election
  • INEC disowns national convention

The Board of Trustees at the Labour Party says it has taken over the administration of the party, indicating a fresh trouble in the LP’s internal crisis.

This was announced on Thursday in a statement issued in Abuja by the party’s BoT Chairman, Sylvester Ejiofor.

He said the takeover of the party came after the expiration of Julius Abure’s tenure as LP’s national chairman

Abure was re-elected as chairman t the party’s national convention held in Nnewi, Anambra State, on Wednesday, amid leadership crisis.

All members of the National Working Committee were returned at the convention.

But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has described Abure’s re-election as “an illegality”.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also disowned the exercise on the grounds that it did not monitor the national convention.

INEC spoke through Rotimi Oyekanmi, media aide to INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The BoT’s statement read in part, “Following the expiration of the tenure in office of the immediate past National Working Committee of the LP headed by Mr. Julius Abure, the BoT, in line with the party’s constitution, has stepped in to steer the affairs of the LP.

“This step is to avoid any leadership vacuum in the LP.

“Furthermore, the BoT of the LP, in consultation with major stakeholders in the party, will soon communicate the processes for the conduct of an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP.

“This is in line with the March 20, 2018 Federal High Court consent judgment delivered by Justice Gabriel Kolawole which recognised the Nigeria Labour Congress as the owners of the LP and mandated that an all-inclusive and expansive national convention of the LP be held.

“The decision of the BoT is also in furtherance of the agreement signed between the former national chairman of the LP, Mr. Julius Abure, and the NLC and the Trade Union Congress on June 27, 2022, which was mediated by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

“Unlike the charade that took place today in Nnewi and in tandem with the principles of popular democracy, the all-inclusive national convention will start with grassroots congresses at ward, local government, state and ultimately at the national level.

“This process will not leave any genuine member of LP out and will be held in the full view of the Independent National Electoral Commission, media, civil society, security agents, and the general public.”

The Abure-led executive of the party had not responded to the new development as noon on Thursday.

 

A chieftain of the party was quoted in a report by The PUNCH as saying it was a hatchet job.

“Since many of you journalists have been covering this party, have you heard anything about LP Board of Trustees before? It is non-existent.

“How can one Sylvester Ejiofor wake up one day, tag himself as BoT chairman, and issue a statement that he has taken over the affairs of the party? Let him come over to the secretariat and take over then.

“Too many people and mercenaries are just bent on causing conflict in the party,” he said.

 

 

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BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

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Julius Abure, the national chairman of the Labour Party

BREAKING: LP Re-elects Julius Abure As National Chairman

The Labour Party (LP) has re-elected Julius Abure as its National Chairman for a second term in office.

Abure was re-elected by a unanimous affirmation of delegates at the party’s National Convention in Nnewi, Anambra State.

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The Chairman of the National Convention and Deputy Governor of Abia State, Ikechukwu Emetu declared him the winner during the event attended by party leaders and members.

More to come…

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