The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen John James Akpanudoedehe, has clarified that the ruling party can only grant waiver to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and other new entrants if they join the party to contest election, but not giving an automatic ticket as candidate of the party. Sen Akpanudoedehe, who made the clarification in a statement he issued in Abuja on Friday, insisted that granting of waiver is part of the resolutions reached during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held December last year.
He equally lamented that his comment on Jonathan was largely mis- interpreted, emphasising that he had simply reechoed NEC resolution to
give a blanket waiver to all new APC entrants. He further emphasised that if former President Jonathan or any other person decides to join the ruling party, he and others must undergo the compulsory nomination processes outlined by the APC constitution.
“The APC NEC resolution of December 8, 2020 approved the grant- ing of waivers to persons who have recently joined the party and those desirous of joining the party in the nearest future to contest for positions in the APC and as party flag bearers in general elections.
“By the NEC resolution, new members will enjoy all the benefits and privileges accruable by virtue of their membership of the APC.
“For the records, in my recent television interview reaction to the
rumoured plans by former President Jonathan to join the APC, my state- ment was that NEC resolution was a blanket waiver to all new APC en- trants, including the interviewee.
“The waiver is definitely not specific to anyone as being misconstrued and misrepresented in some sections. Coming into the party gives no one special status of being an automatic party candidate in any election. All aspirants must undergo the nomination processes outlined by the APC constitution,” he noted in the statement. Reproducing the excerpts of APC NEC December 8, 2020 resolution, the statement read: “…new members will enjoy all the benefits and privileges accruable by virtue of their membership of the party. So, they will be able to contest for positions in the party. They will be able to contest elections without any requirement of being members for a number of years or period of time.”