The All Progressives Congress has said that State Congresses not conducted by officials sent by the National Headquarters of the party and witnessed by the Independent National Electoral Commission are null and void.
Many states witnessed parallel congresses and violence as the party on Saturday had its State Congress nationwide.
The Secretary of the party’s Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, made the party’s stand known in a statement on Sunday.
Akpanudoedehe said: “Anything (congress) outside the guideline is an exercise in futility. “Anything that we (Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) did not authorize is not permissible.
“The purported ‘parallel’ congresses are futile activities and very strange to the party, our Constitution, and the guidelines for the conduct of the state and other congresses.
“Only exercises conducted by duly inaugurated State Congress Committees are recognized by the party.
“The APC leadership will not hesitate to take adequate and lawful measures against any person or interest sabotaging the collective party’s interest and efforts to achieve peace and unity in our great party.
“We are a structured and a well-organized party.
“We gave notice to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“We submitted the guideline and the list of committee members to conduct the congresses to INEC.
“If you go outside that arrangement, it is an exercise in futility.
“Where contestations exist, adequate conflict resolution measures have been put in place to address them. The party has appeal committees for every congress.”