APM CRISIS DEEPENS IN BAUCHI AS FACTION SUSPENDS STATE CHAIRMAN

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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim

The ruling Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Bauchi State has been plunged into an internal crisis following the suspension of its chairman, Auwal Isah, by a faction of the party’s executives.

The suspension was announced on Wednesday at a press conference by the faction led by the party’s secretary, Mohammed Nasir Yahaya.

Yahaya said the decision followed allegations of financial mismanagement, poor record-keeping, failure to maintain an official party bank account and breaches of the party’s constitution.

He disclosed that the faction had appointed Hon. Nasiru Nuru Marafa as interim chairman after an emergency meeting of the executive members.

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Yahaya attributed the crisis to the defection of Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and other government officials to the APM. He alleged that Isah altered the party’s executive list to accommodate individuals who were not original members.

According to him, those affected were loyalists of the governor and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who joined him in defecting to the APM.

He said the party’s founding members had lodged complaints with the state and national leadership over the changes, but their concerns had yet to be resolved.

Yahaya further alleged that a proposal was made to allocate 70 per cent of the party’s leadership positions in the state to the government, leaving the original members with 30 per cent.

He explained that a committee was established to reconcile the competing interests but held meetings for only four days before its activities were suspended.

The factional leader added that his group had written to the party’s national leadership and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that it was unaware of a proposed stakeholders’ meeting.

Yahaya also stated that Governor Bala Mohammed had previously assured aggrieved party members that the dispute would be resolved amicably.

He said the faction had formally communicated Isah’s suspension to INEC and the party’s national leadership.

However, the suspension has been disputed by another faction within the party.

Reacting to the development in an interview with journalists, the factional Publicity Secretary, AbdulShakur Danlami Mohammed, said Yahaya was not the party’s secretary.

Although he did not dispute the group’s membership of the APM, Mohammed said the party would issue an appropriate response to the development.