Registration: Crisis hits Ogun APC as CPC caucus kicks

Leaders of the Congress of Progressive Change in Ogun State have called on Governor Ibikunle Amosun to urgently caution members of his SIA group in the state not to divide the party ahead of the forthcoming party congresses in the state.
The caucus of the defunct CPC in Ogun State made this plea on Sunday in Ago-Iwoye, while observing the ongoing APC membership registration in the state, where they were received massively with funfare and pageantry by associates and supporters of their state leader and former governorship candidate
They said the activities of members of the governor’s camp, placed in charge of membership registration in most units of the state, if not urgently cautioned, might jeopardise the strength and chances of the party at the next general election.
The CPC said: “It was counterproductive and totally mindless for members of the Governor’s camp from the defunct ACN (Action Congress of Nigeria) to hoard registration materials and prevent other co-founders of the party at the grassroots from registering for the party, when there is a greater most battle ahead of the party at the 2015 general elections.
The caucus cited cases of Atikori ward in Ijebu North among other centres in the state where members of Amosun’s camp have been forced to hijacked the registration and prevented other elements from registering for the party.
They said it took the physical intervention of the state Deputy Governor, Prince Segun Adesegun, and Senator Gbenga Kaka before normalcy could be restored in some of the registration centres
The CPC added: “As leaders of the defunct CPC in Ogun, we do wish to express deep worry about how the governor’s camp has been going about nurturing this new party in the state.
“Therefore, we of the defunct CPC will henceforth resist vehemently any attempt by any individual or group of individuals to hijack our collective patrimony in the APC because we are all co-founders and equal stakeholders of the party.”
The CPC leaders also expressed serious concern about the way the national leadership of the party has allegedly skewed party harmonisation and membership registration against former governorship candidates, who are also state leaders, of their legacy parties, while completely handing over the process to state governors.
They contend that such arrangement may affect the desired inclusiveness and cohesion critical for party harmonisation and strength as one side is tacitly placed in control of party structure from the outset, leaving  others marginalised.
The leaders added: “We however wish to call on the national leadership of APC to quickly intervene in the ongoing marginalisation and unnecessary exclusion of members of the defunct CPC in the present drive to build a virile party in Ogun State.”