2023: Buhari, APC Governors agree on zoning
..Approve South for Presidency, Party Chairmanship office to North
…Arrangement simple, equitable zoning formula – El-Rufai
…Delayed convention fallout of APC in-fighting — PDP
By Uthman Salami
The Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have agreed on zoning formula that will concede slots of the party’s candidate for presidency as well as the Chairmanship seat.
The arrangement, according to the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai is a simple and equitable zoning formula for all geopolitical zones.
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) after their meeting with President Buhari said the ruling party had agreed to alternate offices between the north and south in the forthcoming general elections and National Convention.
While speaking to the media after meeting with the President, Muhammadu Buhari, El-Rufai said the northern zone would have the positions the South had held in the last eight years and vice versa.
Speaking on behalf of the Forum, Kaduna Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufa’i dispelled reports of division among the APC Governors.
He said the unity and oneness of party members, agreeing that, “There were differences among [APC] Governors over timing of the Convention.”
But that, “there’s no way you can have 22 Governor agreeing on every issue. You can have differences, but to call it division is taking it too far.
“But after our meeting last night and our briefing with PMB today, we are all on the same page. We have agreed on a simple, equitable and fair zoning formula for all geopolitical zones. By God’s grace by March 26, we will hold the APC national convention.
“Let there be no doubt that the Progressive Governors are United in our resolve to ensure that the Peoples Destruction Party doesn’t come back to power,” El-Rufai said
Laying credence to the zoning arrangements, the Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu said the President believes in concensus candidate.
He said the President had reminded them of consensus, noting that both the pioneering Chairman of the Party, Chief Bisi Akande and his successors had all emerged through consensus, noting that the President urged them to consider consensus as an option.
…Progressive Governors throw weight behind adjustment of party convention
Meanwhile, Governors of the All Progressives Congress also threw their weight behind the postponement of the National Conventions.
The APC on Monday had postponed its National Convention to March 26. It was earlier billed for February 26.
The Governors had met on Monday evening but declined to comment on the postponed convention at a press briefing later.
“Until we finish the meeting with Mr. President, we will rather not comment on any timetable or logistics,” Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, said.
The convention was earlier billed for February 26.
However, after the meeting, the governors said they were in support of the party’s new date for its national convention.
Some pundits who spoke exclusively with Nigerian NewsDirect had postulated that the APC’s delay in conducting a national convention may not be unrelated to internal party wrangling and factions in several states.
To rub salt over the wound, the party’s stakeholders had been quiet about the processes leading up to the convention and reasons why such processes have failed to happen
The APC Governors last week had slated a meeting with the President Muhammadu Buhari over party issues, but the meeting couldn’t hold as the President had to travel to Belgium on an official assignment.
…Delayed convention fallout of horrible in fighting in APC — PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier yesterday described the postponement of the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a “fallout of the horrible infighting” in the party.
In a statement issued yesterday, Debo Ologunagba, PDP spokesperson, said the inability of the APC to conduct its convention shows that the party is unable “to successfully manage the affairs” of the country.
“The continuing inability by the All Progressives Congress (APC), a party in government, to conduct a routine National Convention has further explained why all sectors of our national life have been in the shambolic state under the incompetent, corrupt, rudderless and overtly confused APC administration,” the statement read.
“APC’s postponement of its National Convention yet again validates PDP’s stance that the APC is not a political party but a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) of strange bedfellows, ‘political buccaneers’ and ferocious power mongers on a mission to wreck our nation.
“The PDP states that the APC which cannot conduct its own internal affairs could not be expected to successfully manage the affairs of a nation like Nigeria,” the party said in a statement yesterday.
