By Adeyemi Adeleye
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ghana has faulted the party’s Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) list, insisting that it should be inclusive of a member from each of the diaspora chapters.
The APC on Saturday released a 422-member Presidential campaign council list ahead of the commencement of its 2023 presidential campaign to be headed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Secretary of the council, Mr James Faleke, all nominees are to pick their appointment letters on Monday at the APC presidential campaign office.
The Director, Media and Publicity, APC PCC, Mr Bayo Onanuga, disclosed in a statement on Sunday evening that the inauguration earlier slated for Monday had been shifted to Wednesday.
Meanwhile, in the list, two persons from UK are to head the Diaspora Affairs in the APC presidential campaign council as Chairman and Secretary respectively.
Reacting to the constitution, the Chairman of APC in Ghana, Mr Oghenosa Micheleti in a statement in Lagos on Monday, said that a member from each country chapter of the party, should be included in the council and not be represented by just two persons.
“We have a Forum of APC Diaspora Chairmen that have been representing the party and projecting its image in our various countries and therefore, we should not be relegated in an election that is most powerful in the country.
“The diaspora representation should be all-encompassing. Inclusion will make everyone work as a team to achieve the ultimate aim.
“Here in Ghana, we have inaugurated a committee for the Tinubu/Shettima campaign and it is sad that none of us will be accommodated in the PCC,” he said.
Micheleti said that the APC in Ghana participated actively in the election that brought in President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 and replicated same in 2019.
He added: “We did that for President Buhari and will do same for our leader, Sen. Bola Tinubu.
“We erected bill boards in Ghana and brought Nigerians together to rally support for Buhari, and even paid for Nigerians to return home to vote. We will do so again for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.”
The chairman, however, appealed to the party leadership to review the list with a view to ensuring that those who ought to be in the council were swiftly included.
“There are many diaspora associations that are already creating division in the diaspora.
“Some of them are not enshrined in the APC constitution, they are parallel organs and shouldn’t be allowed to operate or parade themselves as representing the entire APC diaspora members.
“Those organisations if not properly handled, may bring division and tension into the party in the diaspora.”
According to him, only two diaspora members from APC UK are included in the PCC diaspora unit and they are both from the UK. This leaves out members in other countries.
He appealed to the party leadership to urgently look into the demands with a view to ratifying the issues raised. (NAN)
