A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State, Kingsley Wenenda Wali, has said that prominent members of the party were resigning from the fold to avoid being suffocated.
He wondered why one person, who is holding a government appointment, will still be the leader of the party in the local government area, where the party’s candidate in the same local government area and a national delegate of the party at the same time.
Wali, who spoke with LEADERSHIP in Port Harcourt, said the APC in the state revolves around four leaders, who decide what happens in the party.
The APC chieftain said: “So, if we begin to have a situation where people are thinking that the party is being run like a bank, of a chief executive and four executive directors, it is significant to know that four is a critical number in APC.
“Because, if you listen to Celestine Akpobari when he left, he made some statements about a particular group of people who are like the party revolves around them. Whatever comes to the party goes to the four of them.
“It might be an attempt by the leader to develop a succession plan but I don’t think I agree with that kind of scenario where whatever comes go to certain people. Fortunately for me, I am not an appointment-seeking person, I am not a political office-seeking person. I am free to speak my mind.
“For example, you have a situation where somebody is the leader of the local government, somebody is the candidate of the party in the local government, the same person is a national delegate, the same person has a government appointment.
“So, you begin to ask yourself, what about people from that local government? Or are you saying there are no other people who can actually protect the interest of the leader in that local government?
“So, these are kinds of things that suffocate people; that choke people and rather than being choked, they move and fix themselves somewhere. Some went back to their houses, their business or another political party.”
