An APC chieftain, Cletus Obun, has defended the party’s consensus-driven national convention, stating that the process was not an imposition of candidates but a product of dialogue, consultation, and internal conflict management aimed at preserving party unity.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Monday, Obun said the outcome of the convention reflected deliberate efforts to manage tensions and avoid internal crises.
“I’ll just say that because now this has become a game of the masters, the convention went seamlessly, to the surprise of many who would have thought that there would be a lot of crisis and court cases,” he said.
He credited the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for ensuring that the consensus process was inclusive rather than coercive.
“I’m talking about the sitting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has ensured that consensus is not just about, it does not translate to imposition,” he said.
Obun acknowledged that disagreements existed within the party but noted that they were resolved through consultations. “That does not in any way presuppose that there were no rough edges and there were no tensions. They were,” he said.
He emphasised that the ability to manage these tensions is what distinguishes a stable political party.
“The ability to suppress tensions and bring consensus and amiable reconciliation through dialogue is what stands out one party from the other,” he added.
According to him, dissent is a natural part of democracy and does not necessarily indicate crisis.
“In a democracy, there must be dissenting voices, opinions must differ… that does not amount to a crisis,” he said.
Obun further noted that extensive consultations played a key role in achieving the consensus outcome. “That is why the word ‘extensive consultation’ was used by the National Chairman,” he said.
Obun’s remarks position the APC convention as a model of internal conflict management, highlighting consensus-building and dialogue as tools for maintaining party cohesion ahead of future elections.
Triumph Ojo
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