APC UK Faces Major Challenges Amidst Congress Crisis
The conflict within the United Kingdom branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified due to disagreements over the recent congress results.
Discontented members are threatening legal action over claims of being unfairly excluded unless the National Working Committee (NWC) resolves the leadership dispute.
These upset leaders argue they were deliberately prevented from participating in the congress.
A senior party official recently visited London to oversee a congress, which has been criticized by the interim committee’s secretary for being exclusive.
In a new development, a party member, Prince Olusanjo Adebola Olurebi, has lodged a complaint through his lawyers, AXIS Solicitors, alleging irregularities in the congress.
Olurebi’s lawyer stated: “As a rightful member of APC-UK, our client and many other members were completely excluded by the system established on January 13, 2024. The party official was supposed to unify both national parties but failed to do so.
“As a result, our client has been denied his right to participate and vote in the congress. Similarly, other members have also been deprived of their democratic rights.”
Olurebi, who holds a traditional title in Manchester, claimed the interim committee had failed badly and should be replaced with a new team to lead the party in the UK.
He accused the party official of favoring certain people during the congress, despite the interim committee meeting only once.
Olurebi said the selected members for both the interim committee and the new congress represent only a small portion of the APC members in the UK.
He explained: “The interim committee set up at the Central London meeting on January 13, 2024, has not fulfilled its duties and hasn’t organized a general meeting for over six months due to personal conflicts between the chairman and secretary, which affects the collective interests of members in the UK.
“Moreover, the interim chairman is running for the chairmanship at the upcoming congress, having manipulated the process and used his position to promote his campaign, which is unjust, unfair, undemocratic, and against the party’s rules for equal opportunities for all candidates.
“There’s also a planned stakeholder meeting on June 27, 2024, but most members were not informed about it, only a few who support the candidate. This is inappropriate, unfair, and not aligned with the party’s constitution.
“The interim chairman has disregarded the interim committee’s mandate by forming another local organizing committee for himself and his supporters to manage the congress on June 29, 2024, which is completely absurd.”