APC National Convention: Northern caucus scrambles for Chairmanship slot
…as Buhari okays February 2022 for convention
…Caretaker Extraordinary Committee illegal, aberration of Nigerian constitution – IPAC Chairman
…APC to scout next presidential candidate from the South — Ogunrinade
Abimbola Abatta, Olaseinde Gbenga, Bankole Taiwo
Indications have emerged that the Northern caucus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is scrambling to grab the chairmanship slot ahead of the 2023 general election.
Also, in the midst of the fight over the chairmanship seat, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved February 2022 as the new date for the National Convention of APC.
The Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, who confirmed the approval after a closed door meeting with the President in Abuja, yesterday, said the convention was shifted because four states were yet to complete their congresses.
A former National youth leader of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) who defected to APC, Aremu John Oyetunji, in his reaction, noted that the party chairmanship will be zoned to the North.
The APC stalwart, while speaking in an interview with Nigerian NewsDirect, also revealed the three aspirants for the chairmanship race.
According to him, “We have Tanko Almakura from Nassarawa State, George Akume from Benue and Mallam Siadu from Kwara State.
“By the grace of God, we are zoning the party chairmanship to the North, while the president will come from the South. We have the Present chairman of the party from the South while we have the present president from the North. Our decision is in the interest of the people, and the zoning is solely for the purpose of equity and balancing.”
While reacting to the Northern caucus’ jostling for the Chairmanship position, Head of Digital Communication of APC, Dada Olusegun, explained that zoning the party’s chairmanship position to the North is a big signal to where the party is heading in 2023.
Olusegun also expressed confidence that the ruling party will continue to be at the centre, noting that APC cannot lose the 2023 general election.
His words, “There’s a gentleman agreement in our party that since the North is going to complete its eight years in office by 2023, a southerner will take the mantle from where it stops. Zoning is not in our constitution, but it is one of the ways we keep this country in one state. We are trying to ensure that the position for the party chairman is zone to the North.
“Recently, the Southerners have occupied the party chairmanship position, as a result of this, we are moving it to the Northern part of the country, and this is a big signal as to where our party is heading come 2023.
“We are a national party likewise is PDP a party, we cannot be trailing on their footsteps. Right now, what we’ve seen from the presidency is that the president has decided a particular candidate. Yes, the chairmanship will be from the North, there is no argument on that.
“The Northern caucus knows where they want it to go. The president is from the North-west. The Senate president is from the North-East. The North Central is the only one currently that is yet to have a major central position. The speculations are right but as at the moment, it is not yet official. Mallam Saidu is yet to clarify his intention which makes him to be on the watch list.
“As a party stalwart, I believe that all aforementioned aspirants are eminently and uniquely qualified to hold the chairmanship position. I’m not in the position to justify a particular aspirant, they are all party members and are all humanly unique in their ways. On that, we are still watching and looking forward to see what the president have to say concerning them. The president has a lot of power and say on this. Recall that the former party chairman, the person of Adam Oshiomole was an interest from the president, and no one was able to defy that.
“The presidential slot will be going to the South, but of these two aspirants. Only one of them has declared interest officially to run for president which is Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, and we can see that Gov. Bello’s interest is justified because we cannot neglect the fact that as a young governor, and one who has earned a lot of popularity might be willing to step down out of the race.
“I said earlier that in APC, we don’t have zoning as a constitutional requirement. It is not embedded in our constitution, this is just a gentleman’s understanding. Recall that in 2014 while President Buhari who is from the North-west was contesting for the position of the president, we have as well other contestants from the North and Rochas Okorocha from the Eastern part of the country also contested in that race. If the party is not going to pave way for consensus candidate, there will be an open room for election. As at now, we are yet to see a southerner to indicate interest for the party chairmanship position.
“I’m not going to talk about PDP at the moment, they don’t even have what it takes to battle on the field or rule this country, and I’m saying this as someone who’s an advocate of multi-party system in the country.
“The 2023 general election would inform us, and we would see clearly how the mentioned big-wigs aspiring for president will pull their weights, and the president will also ensure that APC will continue to be the party at the centre. The stance showed APC cannot loose next 2023 election.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and Chairman of Ogun State Labour Party, Comrade Abayomi Arabambi, has described the Caretaker Extraordinary Committee of the APC as illegal and an aberration of the Nigerian constitution.
Speaking with our correspondent, Arabambi said, “As far as I am concerned, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a defunct party because this idea of the party being managed by a Caretaker Extraordinary Committee is illegal. It is an aberration to the constitution of our country. Until the party does what is right, it is as good as if it is not in existence because you can’t build something on nothing.
“Having said that, I think the APC has already entered the bobby trap of the opposition party, PDP with its decision to pick its national Chairman from the north because PDP is still coming back to the South. The new national Chairman of PDP, Sen Iyorchia Ayu has said that once the presidential candidate of the party emerges from the north, he will quickly relinquish his office for the south but whoever emerges from the north as the Chairman of APC will not step down.
“He will want to enjoy the perks of the office and he will also be thinking that that President Buhari will use the power of incumbency to ensure victory for whoever they pick as the party’s presidential candidate. But PDP is ready to sacrifice just anything to return to power and you can mark my words, PDP will pick its next presidential candidate from the north, obviously, APC will pick its own candidate from the south, though that is another matter entirely because I see the party imploding very soon.
“Already against the shout of Tinubu presidency in the party, the cabals who believed that Tinubu will be too overbearing with presidential powers are rooting for the candidacy of Osinbajo, the Vice President, so how they will manage that I don’t know. In fact, this will cause great division in the south which will no doubt be a blessing for the PDP whose presidential candidate will be from the north.
“The north is already agitating that they want the six years of Late Umaru Yardua that was spent by former President Goodluck Jonathan. To tell you that a great bond exist among these northerners, why should it be Alhaji Atiku Abubakar that will take the only son of President Buhari during his wedding to the palace? I am not too sure the northerners in APC will consider it a big deal to support PDP moves to retain power in the north because they wanted it very badly.”
Mr Temiloluwa Ogunrinade, a public analyst, while commenting on the APC’s decision to pick its national Chairman from the Northcentral, said, “I think with this decision, it is showing that the APC really wants its next presidential candidate to come from the south.
“This decision has also put lid on the speculation that the APC still wants to field someone from the north as its presidential candidate. I really don’t see much of drama in it except that the south may now also begin to fight among themselves on whether it is south west or south east that will produce the presidential candidate.
“However, it is obvious that the South West has at least 90% assurance of clinching the ticket but whether the APC with its presidential candidate from the south and PDP likely presidential candidate from the north will eventually be able to retain power remain at the realm of imagination, time certainly will tell.”
