The scramble to fill vacant positions in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is gaining traction in the ruling party ahead of meetings of its main decision-making organs, Daily Trust reports.
Though the date for the convention of the party has not been fixed yet, the National Caucus and the National Executive Committee (NEC) – the second highest decision-making organ of the party – are meeting this Wednesday and Thursday respectively to reach key resolutions that will give birth to the convention.
Recall that the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and Secretary, Senator Iyiola Omisore, resigned recently following the intense crisis that engulfed the party.
The Deputy National Chairman (North), Senator Abubakar Kyari, and Deputy Secretary, Festus Fuanter, took over in acting capacities pending the conduct of a mini-national convention.
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But in a dramatic twist, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has nominated Kyari as minister subject to approval by the Senate.
Apart from Kyari, Tinubu also nominated the APC Women’s Leader, Beta Edu, as minister, while the position of the National Vice Chairman (North West) is also vacant as Salihu Mohammed Lukman resigned last week.
Sources in the APC say the caucus and NEC meetings would deliberate on the issue and appoint an acting national chairman for a period within which they would organise a convention for the election of new officers.
Daily Trust, however, reports that the scramble for the vacant positions has begun as the party moves to appoint an acting chairman who would replace Kyari and organise the convention for the election of substantive national chairman, secretary, women’s leader and national vice chairman (North West).
Top party officials couldn’t confirm the likely date for the convention to our correspondent as of the time of filing this report, but it was gathered that contenders for various positions are already springing up.
Sources in the APC confirmed that President Tinubu and governors who are members of the party, led by Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, have settled for the immediate past Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, as the next national chairman.
Some stakeholders have, however, said Ganduje could only act when Kyari finally assumed the office of minister, and if possible, contest at the convention to be retained as the substantive national chairman.
So far, a former Senate President, Ameh Ebute, from Benue State (North Central) has declared intention to fill the vacancy created by Adamu.
In a statement a few days ago, Senator Ebute said he was ready to sacrifice himself as he did alongside Tinubu during the heydays of the military.
Similarly, a source close to a former Governor of Nasarawa State, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, confirmed that the ex-governor was consulting and would contest if the North Central was to retain the position.
Al-Makura had contested the office of APC national chairman at the 2022 national convention, but then President Muhammadu Buhari prevailed on him and other contenders to step down for Adamu.
A source close to the former governor said: “Yes, he is interested, but you know, he has to get the endorsement of the powers that be. So, he will contest if the North Central is given the opportunity to retain the position or Mr President decides to favour him.
“But as it stands now, they want to settle Ganduje as the first governor in the North to solidly stand behind Tinubu. That is why they want to give him the chairmanship of the party. But there are issues.
“You see, Lukman has resigned and many people are saying they will not work with Ganduje. Some expected that Al-Makura would be nominated minister. The first list came out and his name is not there. So, whatever Mr President decides will be final.”
For the position of national secretary, our correspondent confirmed that the party has settled for a former Senate spokesperson, Ajibola Bashiru, from Osun State, who is the sole contestant so far. Recall that Omisore also hails from Osun State.
N/Central stakeholders divided over Ganduje
Meanwhile, there is disquiet in the North Central as stakeholders in the region are divided over the reported choice of Ganduje as the party’s next chairman.
Some of the stakeholders are insisting that the North Central must retain its position like the case of Bashiru who is billed to replace Omisore as secretary.
Daily Trust reports that prior to his resignation, the National Vice Chairman (North West), Lukman, told governors who are members of the party and other critical stakeholders that anointing Ganduje for the seat ahead of the party’s convention was the height of insensitivity, insisting that the North Central must be allowed to retain the position.
However, on Friday, some elders in the North Central met in Abuja where they threw their weight behind Ganduje.
Addressing newsmen at the end of their meeting, the elders, led by a former Military Governor of Plateau and Katsina states and Principal Staff Officer (PSO) to former Head of State, General Sani Abacha, Major General Lawrence Onoja (Rtd), said Ganduje was their choice.
Apart from Gen Onoja, other elders at the event are a former presidential aspirant, Mrs Cesnabmihilo Dorothy Nuhu-Aken’Ova; Deputy Chairman of the APC in the FCT, Hon Musa Mwanti Bwari; member, APC Presidential Campaign Council 2023 from Plateau, Hon Ishaya R. Pam; Dr Mathias Terwase Byuan; Alhaji Salihi Bala; Dr Joseph Azi; Alhaji Mohammed Isah Lapai; Alhaji Umar Sanda; Engr Alkali Baba; Hon Danjuma Ali Muhammad and Madam Jummai L. Johnson.
Others are former lawmakers: Hon Bernard Ochepa (Benue); Hon Abdullahi Sadiq (Kogi); Hon Linus Ogba (Kogi); Hon Suleimon Olola (Kwara); Hon Dr Kolo Gene (Kwara); Hon Zacharia A. Dikko (Niger State); Hon Tanko Yusuf J. B. (Niger) and Hon Abdullahi M. Kani (Nasarawa).
Onoja said: “We as representatives of elders of the party from North Central zone are here today in continuation of the series of endorsements of Abdullahi Ganduje. We represent different elder groups of the party in the zone.”Similarly, the Coalition of North Central APC Youth Leaders and Support Groups appealed to critical stakeholders of the party to endorse Ganduje as the new acting national chairman.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, convener of the coalition, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, said the APC under Ganduje would complement the implementation of President Tinubu’s blueprint for the benefit of Nigerians.
Agitation lacks root in constitution – Barr Maidugu
A member of the APC Constitution Repeal Committee, Barrister Bashir Maidugu, told Daily Trust in a telephone chat yesterday that the agitation that the North Central must retain the position has no roots in the constitution.
He said, “There is nowhere in the constitution where it is clearly stated that the national chairman must come from a particular zone. It is just for the sake of political convenience that political offices are zoned. It recommends that offices should be zoned in such a way that it will reflect the diversity of this country.
“As it is now, we have a new APC government led by President Tinubu who is from the South West and the national chairman that has just resigned is from the North Central and there is a need for a new national chairman that will also show a semblance of balance as a diverse nation.
“That is because the SGF is from the North Central, the same zone where Adamu hails from, the national chairman of the party should come from the next zone, which is the North West, because in politics numbers are everything.
“The North West has the highest number of voters, and they gave us the highest number of votes in the recently concluded general election. So, they have to be adequately represented in the party.
“So, getting a credible politician from the North West will be a very good thing for the party. I am not particularising it to any individual to replace Abdullahi Adamu. So, in that light, I suggest and advise that the national leadership of the party should get somebody from the North West to head the party as national chairman.”
On arguments that the North West has already produced the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Tajudeen Abbas and the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, Maidugu said, “In all honesty, if you look at the contributions of the North West to the success of the party, the speaker and deputy senate president are not enough compensation.”
‘It’s a dangerous precedence’
But a former chairmanship contestant in Adamawa State who stepped down for Adamu as directed by then President Buhari during the 2022 national convention of the party held at the Eagles Square in Abuja, Chief Sunny Sylvester Moniedafe (Jagaban Jimeta), told Daily Trust that the party would be setting a dangerous precedence if the zoning formula was jettisoned.
He said, “The zoning was done last year or so, and the positions were filled. So, if Abdullahi Adamu was made to resign, my advice is that we should respect the zoning formula.
“Since the position of chairman was zoned to the North Central, I expect it to remain sacrosanct where you have somebody from the zone coming out to fill the vacancy. Even if you zone it, we still have micro-zoning; it can be zoned to another state, not necessarily Nasarawa State.
“For the sake of having synergy, we should follow the right procedure because if you set a dangerous precedent now by just moving the chairmanship to the North West, it might give room for further trouble.
“I want to believe that no one from the leadership has spoken about endorsing Ganduje, so, let’s assume that it is a mere speculation.”
Agenda for NEC meeting
Meanwhile, our correspondent gathered that the resolutions reached during the National Caucus’ meeting would be presented to NEC on Thursday for ratification.
Insiders hinted that the NEC would review how the party fared in the 2023 general elections and deliberate on circumstances that led to the resignation of Adamu and Omisore.
It was gathered that the NEC would equally discuss the Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections slated for November 11, anti-party activities during the last elections, the reward system in the party, among other contentious issues.
