There was commotion at the Bauchi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for nearly one hour as a fact-finding committee sent by the national chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yiltwada, to intervene in the lingering crisis over the state congress was prevented from sitting.
Aggrieved members of the party stormed the hall where the meeting was to hold, shouting and interrupting at every attempt by the committee members and state party leaders to commence deliberations.
Our correspondent learnt that the mob stormed the hall when they were informed that the delegation that came from Abuja was in Bauchi to swear in a new set of executives.
The Bauchi State chapter of the APC has been in crisis since the last state congress over efforts by various interests within the party to have their loyalists placed in key positions in the State Working Committee of the party.
The current structure is believed to have been influenced by a powerful governorship aspirant with the backing of a former governor of the state, while other stakeholders feel their interests have not been accommodated.
The disagreement, sources said, is over the positions of state secretary, organising secretary and welfare secretary.
A source in the party said the disagreement worsened due to the inability of the party to abide by the agreed sharing formula that should have taken care of all critical stakeholders, including serving ministers and former governors of the state who are members of the party.
The chairman of the fact-finding committee and Deputy National Secretary of the APC, Professor Abdulkarim Abubakar Gana, said the team was mandated by the national chairman to engage party leaders and resolve issues arising from the state congress.
He, however, decried the hostile atmosphere at the venue, blaming the state executive committee (Exco) for failing to provide a conducive environment.
“As a national officer, I was instructed by the National Chairman to meet with the Exco to understand and resolve the challenges, but you have not provided a conducive environment. You allowed people into the hall who have surrounded us and are shouting,” he said.
Gana added that he could not proceed under such conditions, citing safety concerns. “What kind of discussion can we have in an open market? Since there is no conducive environment, we will cancel the meeting,” he said.
He noted the committee remained open to reconvening once order is restored.
A brief closed-door session lasting about 10 minutes failed to resolve the crisis, while both parties declined comments as security escorted them out.