ACN Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande
The National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Chief Bisi Akande, has said the party’s congresses scheduled to begin on Thursday (today) will not hold in Lagos, Sokoto, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross River states.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after the party’s emergency National Executive Committee meeting in Lagos, Akande explained that in Sokoto State, the ACN began the registration of its members very late, while the congresses in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa and Cross River states would not hold because of the late collation of registration.
Akande said the party had just started the process of integrating its registered members in Lagos State into the general register. Speaking on the ongoing discussions between the ACN and the Congress for Progressive Change, Akande said no decision had been reached.
He also confirmed reports that he held a discussion with a CPC presidential aspirant, Maj.-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (retd.). He said that after a committee comprising leaders of both parties was set up, Buhari advised that both parties should operate on the same platform.
The ACN chairman said Buhari’s suggestion was yet to be reviewed.
He said, “We have begun talks with the CPC. It is true that Buhari met with me and after the meeting, we set up a committee made up of nominees from both leaders.
“I nominated some people, and he did same. He advised us to operate on the same platform but we have not reviewed the recommendations of the committee and we have not taken any decision regarding it.”
Speaking n the chances of the party in the 2011 elections, a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said the ACN would do well. He said the party was determined to change the country.
Tinubu said the Peoples Democratic Party had been unable to fix the economy, put the roads in a good shape and tackle the nation’s energy problems, adding, “Nigerians are tired of such party and they will want a change.”
Meanwhile, a statement issued in Lagos by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said it would begin its congresses with ward elections nationwide on Thursday. The statement said these would be followed by local government area congresses on December 6, state congress on December 11 and a National Convention on December 16.
The statement said the ward congress would be held at the party’s ward offices; local government area election would take place at the ACN’s secretariats in council areas. It said the state congress would hold at the party headquarters in the state while the National Convention has been fixed for the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin, Edo State.
According to the ACN, membership of the congresses and the convention is as stated in the party’s constitution.
Giving further details of the congresses and convention, the party said, “The Ward Congress shall elect 20 ward officers, one ex-officio member to the ward executive, one ex-officio to the local government executive, eight delegates made up of five delegates to the Local Government Area Congress holding on the 6th of December 2010 and three delegates for the State Congress holding on the 11th of December 2010.
“The Local Government Congress shall elect 21 local government officers, one ex-officio to represent the local government at the state executive committee and two delegates, one of which must be a woman for the National Convention.
“The State Congress shall elect 23 officers of the party that will constitute the State Working Committee in compliance with section 7.11 of the party’s constitution (while)the National Convention shall elect the national officers of the party and the six ex-officio members for the six geo-political zones (each representing a geo-political zone); consider and approve recommendations for any amendment to the party constitution; receive, consider and take decisions on reports from the National Executive Committee and deliberate, consider and approve any other matters brought before it.”
It also listed the fees payable, for the collection of nomination forms, by all members of the party contesting for party offices. Contestants for ward chairmanship will pay N500 each while other offices will attract N300. Party members seeking to lead the ACN’s local government chapters will pay N5000 while those aspiring to other offices are to pay N2,500 each.
State chairman candiates will pay N25,000 each while other contestants will pay N5,000 apiece. Memebrs seeking to contest the national chairman of the party are to pay N100,000 while the fee for other offices has been fixed at N25,000 per contestant.
ACN said the ward registers would serve as the voter register while the special registration documents issued to the members at the just concluded registration exercise would be used as voter cards. It said the the National Convention Committee would cancel elections in areas where there are irregularities or violence.
“Any aspirant identified as having a hand in any irregularity or violence at any level may be suspended or expelled and shall forfeit his/her right to participate in elections of the party or for any elective office. The National Convention Committee is the final appeal authority in all election disputes,” the statement added.
Source:http://www.punchng.com
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