By Matthew Ogune, Abuja
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ezekiel Mesach, has urged the flag bearer of the party for the February 25 presidential election, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the party leadership to suspend all political activities in the Taraba state over alleged corrupt practices within the party structure in the state.
Mesach in a statement on Thursday in Abuja titled: APC Presidential Rally: Uncertainty as accusations of funds embezzlement emerge, also reminded the party that it has lingering cases in court over its governorship candidate in the state.
According to him, the height of internal wrangling within the state level of the party is a big threat to the success of any planned event ahead of the presidential election.
“The APC has fixed Friday, Jan. 20, for its presidential rally in Jalingo, but with the current happenings, it appears the party might have to re- strategies if it hopes to achieve its aim of capturing Taraba State.
“It is pertinent that the APC put its house in order or the event might end up a complete disaster.
“Trouble started when the embattled governorship candidate of the state, Emmanuel Bwacha, was alleged to have been working behind the minister of Transportation, Muazu Maji Sambo, who is also the state coordinator for the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, to hijack the funds meant for the presidential rally.
“The minister, as at that time, was out of the country to Saudi Arabia to perform the lesser hajj. Emmanuel Bwacha and his allies were allegedly initially against the appointment of the minister as the state coordinator and were said to have vowed to rubbish the image of the minister.
“It is more troubling and a thing of national disgrace to the APC with what played out behind the scenes and the facts surrounding why the N200 million budgeted for the presidential campaign council for Taraba, was handed over to someone other than the appointed coordinator.
“Sources say that the national secretary of campaign council, Hon James Abiodun Faleke, is fingered as being part of the alleged deal, and was said to have received the sum of N35 million out the N200 million.
“This is a grave indictment on the person of Hon. Faleke.
“Bwacha and his camp are also said to be on a mission of forcing the minister to resign his position as the coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council for Taraba. They want Sambo to resign or they will sabotage every effort aimed at ensuring the success of the presidential campaign council in Taraba.
“The National body of the APC thereofore, has a huge burden of investigating this weighty and disturbing allegations, with a view to accounting for the campaign funds and ensuring the success of the party in the state.
“This is because, committees were setup with different tasks to ensure the success of the rally, and Bwacha, who is the custodian of the money, has boycotted the various committees’ meetings, and is alleged to be giving out the money only to his allies and political associates, who are not even part of the PCC in Taraba state.
“So how can the committees function without the necessary funds to carry out their duties? How should money allocated for a presidential rally be diverted to personal use or the advancement of an individual’s interest?
“The attention of the national body of the party, the DG of the Presidential campaign council H.E Simon Bako Lalong, and also the presidential aspirant of the party Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, should as a matter of urgency, be brought to this issue or the consequences of this abberation could be grave for the party.
“The APC is advised to shun any activity in Taraba and put on hold the presidential rally for now until these matters are resolved.
“APC is also reminded that the party has lingering cases in court over its governorship candidate in the state, so fresh issues of financial theft and misappropriation like this would only aggravate the existing problems within the party at the state and local levels.”
Source: The Guardian
