Some leaders in Cross River State under the All Progressives Congress (APC) have raised alarm over the non-inclusion of a South-South officer in the Party’s directorate at the national office in Abuja.
The leaders under the aegis of APC Good Governance Group (AGGG), in a statement issued at the weekend, accused the ruling party of inequality, unfairness, and marginalisation in the political recognition of zones in the country.
The group led by Ntufam Okon, argued that the South-South, particularly Cross River State, has been wrongfully excluded from national level, alleging that the South South has been shortchanged by an “unfair and unacceptable sharing formula.”
According to the zonal leaders, it appears to be deliberate even when the State governor, Ben Ayade, had written to the national chairman of the Party, Abdullahi Adamu, recommending a chieftain, Adie Ferdinand Atsu, to be appointed director of Organization in the Party’s national office.
They recalled that Ayade had in a letter dated June 24, 2022 and addressed to the national chairman of the party recommended Atsu for the position of director, saying he is “a devoted , long standing and financially committed party faithful who has constantly worked to uphold the ideals and mission of the great Party at the state and national level.
While lamenting that the party’s national leadership failed to act on the recommendation, the leaders said it is an anomaly that must be corrected in the interest of the Party to ensure fairness, justice, and equity.
READ ALSO: Akpabio: ‘Since 1999, No South-South Senate President Has Emerged’ — APC
The statement read in part: “Nothing is yet to be done even when other zones have occupied their slots. The Eight directorates are enough for every zone to have at least one slot.
“The South-South geopolitical zone is embittered at the way and manner our collective interest has been shortchanged in the National Office of the party even on the Governor’s recommendation for the position.
“It is our belief and this has been our stand all the while that APC’s success is our success, but in a situation where political appointments were shared and allocated but the person recommended to occupy the South-South slot is yet to be appointed is no longer acceptable to us. And it is becoming counter-productive”.
The APC members who said the development is becoming highly worrisome insisted that something urgent has to be done to salvage the situation.
“The only thing that we all believe is for the leadership of APC to considerably appoint Mr Ferdinand Atsu as the Director of Organization in the National Office of the party in line with Article 16,ix, P79 of the party’s constitution which recommends federal character must be met according to geopolitical zones,” they added.
The group also appealed to the national women leader of the party, Betta Edu, to use her good office as a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) in ensuring that Adie Ferdinand Atsu is given the position in line with Governor Ayade’s recommendation to the national chairman of the Party.
