The All Progressives Congress (APC) is set to hold its special convention Monday (today) at the Eagle Square Abuja to produce its presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections.
A visit by Blueprint correspondent to the venue revealed that the party is ready for the exercise which many believed, will be a make or mar event.
Apart from security beef up, decoration of various stands allocated to various states’ delegates, posters and banners of various presidential aspirants and decorated stage are already in places.
Some 2,340 elected delegates are expected to vote and elect one of the over 23 aspirants jostling for the ticket.
The top presidential aspirants, according to the APC screening reports include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos state Governor Ahmed Bola Tinubu, Ekiti state Governor Kayode Fayemi, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi among nine others.
While inaugurating chairmen and secretaries of various convention committees Sunday at the party’s national secretariat, the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, described the exercise as a “convention like no other.”
Inaugurated committees
Nineteen sub-committees for the special national convention were inaugurated by the national chairman..
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu heads Finance and Logistics sub-Committee, Accreditation and Decoration committee has Ogun state Governor Dapo Abiodun; Ondo state Governor Rotimi Akeredolu is to oversee Security and Compliance with Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd.), a former Minister of Interior as co-chair.
The election planning sub-committee has Kebbi state Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and Imo state Governor Hope Uzodinma as co-chairs Transportation Committee has (Dr.) Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Governor of Kano state to be assisted by Dr Ramatu Tijani Aliyu, Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory.
Accommodation committee has Borno state Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, and his Osun counterpart, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, while Nasarawa state Governor Abdullahi Sule heads the Media and Publicity committee. Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment and Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, former Minister of Health, are to head the Medical sub-committee.
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami SAN heads the legal committee, Zamafara state Governor Bello Muhammad Matawalle and FCT Minister Mohammed Musa Bello are to coordinate the Venue and Site Servicing committee while former National Caretaker Committee Chairman and Yobe state Governor Mai Mala Buni heads the Election Appeal committee while Plateau state Governor Simon Lalong and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq are in charge of Hospitality and Welfare sub-committee.
According to Adamu, the committees are expected to organise a befitting event.
“This convention this year is a bit different from the other convention. It is different because it is the first transition convention of our great party. The forthcoming convention will be expected within our constitution to produce the flag bearer of our great party to contest the presidential slot,” Adamu said.
Speaking after the inauguration, Governor Bagudu who heads the Convention Planning Committee said some communities have gone to work even before their inauguration.
Bagudu tasked all the convention committees to work in harmony for the success of the exercise.
“Coming at a time like this, it is for all of us to cooperate given what the chairman said clearly and what is known to us. As he said, it is a convention like no other which is intended by God’s grace to produce a presidential flag bearer.
“And I believe that from comments I have been hearing from party members, we are all energized to ensure that we have a befitting and successful convention,” the governor said.
It was, however, gathered that while some political forces were scheming as at last night to have a consensus candidate, a top party source told Blueprint correspondent that an elective convention was imperative.
Speaking with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, the top APC source said: “At the end of the day, all the scheming to foist a consensus candidate may come to naught. On our party, we are saying that let there be elective convention, let the delegates determine who flies the flag of our party and not some people force someone on us.”
While the APC northern governors agreed to power shift to the South, the Southern APC leaders were yet to adopt anyone as a consensus candidate.
Bello on northern govs’ stance
When contacted Sunday for his reaction to the position of the Northern governors, Bello, one of the presidential aspirants, said he started campaign before any of the northern or southern aspirants.
The aspirant who spoke through the spokesperson of Yahaya Bello Campaign Organisation, Dr. Yemi Kolapo, wondered whether the northern governors were all aspirants.
“Are they presidential aspirants? They only gave mere recommendation. Has the party agreed to their suggestion?
“Even the national chairman of the party said no decision was taken at the dinner with Mr. President on Saturday. We started this campaign before any of the other aspirants. At this stage, on the eve of the election, you can’t be telling us to withdraw,” the campaign spokesperson said.
‘PDP shamed’
Meanwhile, a founding member of the party, Osita Okechukwu, has congratulated the APC northern governors and political leaders for strengthening Nigeria’s unity by endorsing power shift to the South.
He said “by this singular uncommon patriotic gesture, and principled response to building nationhood; the APC governors and political leaders from the north have thoroughly shamed the leaders of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who out of desperation for power attempted to harvest from ethno-religious fault lines in our polity.”
Okechukwu further said, “by their unholy attempt to harvest from primordial sentiments, PDP has not only breached rotation convention in its constitution, but has wittingly or unwittingly dug their electoral grave in 2023 presidential election.
“It’s my considered view that the sophisticated northern voters, who voted for Chiefs MKO Abiola and Olusegun Obasanjo will in 2023 vote for APC presidential candidate and shame PDP.”
In a statement Sunday, in Abuja, Okechukwu, who is also the Director General (DG) of Voice of Nigeria (VON), noted that the northern APC Governors and political leaders deserve commendation for ceding power to the south; hence hoisting Nigeria’s unity flag and advancing the frontiers of our democracy.
He contended that “with the decision to rightfully rotate power to the South, the northern leaders have upheld the progressive bent of APC and exposed the perfidy and opportunistic tendencies of PDP.”
Okechukwu stated: “I am very elated. I commend APC Governors and political leaders of Northern belt for their profound patriotic statement, which aligns with the Mr President’s idea of consensus. By this singular decision, they have killed three birds with one stone.
“One, they hoisted the National Unity Flag by their position that it is the turn of the south to produce Nigeria’s President in 2023. This is about the loftiest way to fly the National Unity Flag at a critical time, when our dear country is highly polarised and in cliff-hanger.
“I must add that this is national healing balm and bridge-building pedigree of APC Governors and political leaders of the Northern belt, which they anchored on the doctrine of progressivism.”
