By Ben Agande & Gbenga Oke
ABUJA —  For the second time in as many weeks, the All Nigeria People’s Party, ANPP, again postponed its National Convention slated to begin in Abuja tomorrow amidst growing controversy over the alleged zoning of the chairmanship position of the party to the South-East.

Unlike the last postponement which was at the instance of the party’s convention planning committee, the latest postponement is at the instance of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which said the planned convention of the party did not meet the provisions of the 2006 Electoral Act that mandated the party to give the commission a 21-day notice before holding the convention.

Though there was no official statement from the party’s convention committee at press time, a member of the party’s Central Working Committee confided in Vanguard that following the letter from the INEC, the party had no option but to put the convention on hold.

The official who does not want his name in print because he is not authorised to speak on the matter said a new date would be announced soon after all necessary logistics including compliance with the Electoral Act has been met.

Zoning threatens party
Meanwhile, the zoning allegedly adopted by the ANPP is threatening the peace of the party as the South-South and SouthWest branches of the party as well as some sections of the North are opposed to the zoning of the national offices of the party.

There are five candidates vying for the national chairmanship position of the party. They include Chief Harry Akande, Chief John Oyegun, Chief Emmanuel Eneukwu, Chief George Moghalu and Alhaji Gambo Mogaji.

The out going national secretary of the party,  Senator Saidu Umar Kumo, had issued a release saying the office of the national chairman of the party had been zoned to the  Southeast and the office of the national Secretary to the Northeast.

This however sparked a protest from the Southsouth and Southwest zones who argued that zoning the position to the south east would be inimical to the success of the party in the next elections.

The only chairmanship candidate from the North, Alhaji Gambo Magaji had argued in an interview with Vanguard that zoning the party to the south east would do more harm than good top the party.

According to him, using the resources of the party which is principally derived from the north to pursue followership from the south has not been productive and the party should reconsider the option of leaving the leadership of the party in the south.

It was gathered that at the meeting of the party’s Central Working Committee (CWC) which had in attendance Governors  Ali Sherrif of Borno, and Ibrahim Geidem of Yobe and other members of the party said that the office of the national chairman should be zoned to the southeast.

But the Kano state governor, Ibrahim Shekarau disagreed and argued that the position should be left open to all qualified party members.

But in a  communiqué issued after a meeting  southwest zone of the party and made available to Vanguard and signed by all the six chairmen of the party from the zone, demanded that the office of the national chairman be zoned to the south west.

The communiqué noted that  “the only candidate the zone has adopted in view of his credentials is Chief Harry Akande, because we believe he is capable of leading the party as a national chairman.

It said the demand  for the zone to produce the national chairman of the party is ‘legitimate and fair considering the fact that the Southwest never produced the national chairman of the party in the last 12 years.”