Fresh uproar in APC over national chair

DESPITE its release of date for convention and endorsement of same along with zoning arrangement by the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), President Muhammadu Buhari, there appears to be no respite for the embattled APC caretaker/extraordinary convention planning committee led by Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni. 

Investigation by Nigerian Tribune revealed that certain aspirants who have been stripped of eligibility to contest the office of national chairman by the zoning arrangement unveiled by the party have vowed to continued to push for the office at the convention slated for March 26. According to the arrangement, the office of national chairman was zoned to the North Central, thereby excluding aspirants from the North-West and North-East geopolitical zones in the country. 

While one of the aspirants from the North East, Sylvester Moniedafe, from Adamawa State has since dropped his ambition in deference to the zoning arrangement and now seeking for the office of deputy national chairman zoned to his area, a source close to another leading aspirant from the zone told Nigerian Tribune in confidence that a former governor from one of the states in the NorthEast and chairmanship aspirant has vowed not to dismantle his campaign structures. 

A source close to the aspirant who spoke with Nigerian Tribune in confidence said it would take formal pronouncement from President Buhari on the zoning arrangement and consensus deal being flaunted by the governors for their candidate to shelve his ambition. 

Asked to comment on the speculated endorsement of former Nasarawa State governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, by President Buhari, the source accused the governors as the power bloc behind the move, while dropping President Buhari’s name. Investigation revealed that one of the aspirants from Zamfara State has vowed to challenge the zoning arrangement in court if declared ineligible to seek the office. 

The media team of former Nasarawa State governor and a leading aspirant, Tanko Al-Makura has also dismissed the endorsement of Senator Adamu, who incidentally is from same state as Al-Makura. 

Segun Tomori, Director, New Media, Al-Makura Campaign Organisation (ACO), in a statement issued to newsmen, said at no time did President Buhari endorse the candidature of Senator Adamu. 

He said: “Information at our disposal indicate that what transpired at the meeting of the governors with the president was the ratification of the new convention date and agreement on the zoning formula. 

“On the issue of who becomes chairman, the president asked that consultations continue to produce a credible and widely acceptable choice as consensus candidate. 

“We urge our supporters to remain focused and steadfast, as we are poised to continue engagement with critical stakeholders in the APC to ensure that Al-Makura emerges as national chairman on March 26.” 

A party source told Nigerian Tribune that Senator Al-Makura might have lost out to the power game between him and his home state governor, Abdullahi Sule. He revealed that while President Buhari’s name was being dropped, Governor Sule actually encouraged Senator Adamu to join the race. 

Another chairmanship aspirant from Niger State, Mohammed Saidu Etsu, has vowed to challenge the purported endorsement of Senator Adamu as consensus candidate. 

Etsu, in a statement he personally signed, vowed to pick the nomination form for the position of national chairman, while urging his supporters to disregard the news of any anointed candidate. 

“Nobody has communicated me to this effect and if such claims are to hold weight, I strongly believe that the party knows the best channel to reach out to us, as fellow aspirants who are equally qualified for this seat. 

“Politics is about people, whether directly or indirectly, nominations and the reaching of consensus for this sensitive position should be a game of numbers. We have over 41 million registered APC members across the country, with a number of them being involved in the internal party decision-making process. Most of which, I know that are not aware of this claim,” he said. 

The supposed presidential endorsement also drew the ire of the camp of Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, as it said there was no iota of truth in the report, because the president attaches premium to constitutional provisions in critical decision making in the APC. 

The campaign organisation urged his supporters, party faithful and other stakeholders in the party to discountenance the report and rely only on information emanating from the official APC organs. The head of media of the Saliu Mustapha also perceived the reported endorsement in the realm of rumours, claiming that all sorts of kites are being flown in the media on the subject matter, ostensibly now. 

“What we learnt is that no one was anointed during President Buhari’s meeting with the governors, regardless of the kite being flown by certain interests. So, we have to make it clear that the Saliu Mustapha campaign organisation does not dwell on rumours or innuendos. 

“We know that all sorts of kites are being flown in the media and things like that will continue to be dropped in the public space. We are reiterating our belief in party supremacy and we know that decisions as important as what is being suggested are always properly communicated by the leadership.” 

Sources told Nigerian Tribune that officials of at least two high-profile contestants had expressed doubts on the neutrality of the Buni-led committee on issues pertaining to the chairmanship contest and the manner the APC leadership was handling preparations for the convention before it was postponed to March 26. 

Part of their concern was the failure of the committee to set up sub-committees it earlier promised that would handle main activities that would crystalise in the convention for the election of a new substantive national executive. 

They accused the leadership of trying to manipulate the whole process for selfish reasons and tilt to favour certain camps. 

Last week, Nigerian Tribune exclusively reported that the sudden entry of Adamu into the race caused a stir in the camps of other aspirants in the party. 

Adamu is the chairman of a committee set up by the APC interim national leadership under Governor Buni to reconcile aggrieved APC members across the country. 

His entry was said to be a major concern to the camp of Al-Makura, who was initially said to be among the three contenders for the position of chairman.