The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Nentawe Yilwatda, has weighed in on the looming controversy in the Abia State Chapter of the party, insisting that any consensus arrangement within the party must have the full agreement of all aspirants.
His reaction follows a strong rejection by frontline governorship aspirant, Mascot Uzor Kalu, who opposed what he described as a covert attempt by some stakeholders and a few handpicked members of the State Working Committee (SWC) to impose a preferred candidate under the guise of consensus.
Kalu, a former Abia State Chief of Staff, had on Sunday condemned the plot as a “Kangaroo endorsement,” saying that it was a calculated effort to sideline other aspirants and predetermine the outcome of the party’s primary.
“Let it be stated clearly and without ambiguity: any premeditated consensus arrangement orchestrated by the APC State Working Committee (SWC) and stakeholders, without the participation of all aspirants contesting for the same position, is illegitimate, unacceptable, and null and void ab initio. Such an imposition will be met with stiff and unequivocal resistance,” the statement partly reads.
Responding to the development, the APC National Chairman stressed that the party’s constitution and internal democracy do not permit imposition disguised as consensus.
Speaking on the party’s nomination process, he maintained that consensus candidacy must be a product of voluntary agreement among all aspirants and not a decision forced on them by party organs or influential stakeholders.
“Consensus Ticket Requires Consent of All Aspirants,” he stated, reiterating that any aspirant who does not willingly subscribe to such an arrangement cannot be compelled to step down.
The chairman further clarified that for any consensus candidate to emerge, there must be clear and documented endorsement from all contenders, warning that any deviation from this principle could undermine party unity and credibility.
