GOVERNOR Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State, who doubles as the Caretaker Committee Chairman, North Central, has been charged to urgently resolve the looming party crisis in the state ahead of the All Progressives Congress  congresses.

This was contained in a press statement jointly signed by the Caretaker Chairman, Mohammed Imam and the Secretary, Mohammed Liman, issued in Minna, on Monday.

The statement said the governor has failed to resolve the party leadership crisis in the state.

It noted that the lingering cases against the party and its officials pending in courts were not withdrawn as directed by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), during their inauguration one year ago.

According to the statement, recent events were a pointer to disaster waiting to happen.

The statement read in part, “We observed that there is a deliberate attempt to sideline Engineer Imam-led executive of the party as several meetings were called and resolutions taken without recourse to my leadership but instead, the zonal chairman (Zone B) and Assistant state youth leader were commissioned for a meeting held in Government House recently, contrary to the provisions of the party Constitution.

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“You will recall that last year at a press conference, we highlighted the danger these illegalities pose  to the survival of the party as we approach 2023 general elections.”

Meanwhile, ahead of the APC congresses for the nomination of candidates to fly the party’s flags in the 2023 elections, a zoning crisis is already brewing in the Lavun Local Government chapter of the party.

The crisis has been aggravated by the insistence of the major stakeholders of the party to maintain the zoning policy adopted and used to pick the area’s candidates since 1999.

Under the arrangement occupants of the house of Assembly seat are to serve for a single term of four years after which the slot will move to the next zone.