Orji Kalu writes Buni, advocates postponement of APC convention

The Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to postpone the party’s convention slated for February next year.

The former governor of Abia State, stated this in a letter addressed to the National Chairman Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, and members of the planning committee.

 Kalu, in the letter, sighted by our correspondent in Abuja on Thursday, appealed to the party to consider conducting the presidential primaries and election of National Working Committee of the party on the same day

In the acknowledged letter, Kalu warned that holding the convention in February without sorting out the minor disagreements that arose during the congresses would lead to implosion.

Kalu’s letter with the title ‘Urgent Appeal for Postponement of APC National Convention’, reads:

“It is with a sense of commitment and unflinching loyalty to our great party, the APC that I write to you, the content of this letter regarding the national convention of our party slated for February, 2022.

“I must also commend your peaceful disposition and sense of commitment to the growth of our party which also saw very peaceful congresses across the states. However, it is pertinent to note that some states are embroiled in crisis with multiple factions.

“These factions are not new to our politics, especially since the return of democracy in 1999. However, it is important to put into consideration the consequences of these factions during and after elections.”

Kalu recalled that the creation of factions in the APC in Rivers and Zamfara states cost the party the governorship elections in those states in 2019.

He said the APC also failed to field candidates in some senatorial districts in Cross River State, thereby helping the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to victory.

The ex-governor added, “It is on this note that I write to appeal to your office and members of the Convention Extraordinary Planning Committee to reconsider the slated date for the 2022 National Convention.

“The logical corollary of the foregoing pronouncements of the courts is that having too many cases without settling them amicably, the APC may be embarking upon a collision course which may lead the party to implosion.

“It is important to first postpone the convention with all peace and reconciliation machinery fully put in place. The issue of zoning should be properly handled with even representation across the six geopolitical zones.”

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