…Confusion over zoning of party offices, Govs divided

…Youths want Buhari’s successor aged 40-50 years

By Clifford Ndujihe & Omeiza Ajayi

THERE is growing confusion in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, over the purported decision of Governors elected on the platform  of the party to zone the national chairmanship to the North-Central ahead of the February 26 national convention.

A section of the media had on Wednesday quoted insider sources as saying the governors also agreed to zone the office of the national secretary to the South- East.

Multiple party sources, however, told Vanguard, yesterday, that the governors never concluded on the issue of zoning.

“Yes, they (Governors) met but they could not conclude on the zoning. Although many who spoke were in support of zoning the chairmanship position to North-Central but it was not concluded.

“It is after they have convinced the southern governors and they have accepted it that we can say the Progressive Governors’ Forum, PGF, has zoned the position. If anyone tells you anything otherwise, let him mention the names of the governors in that meeting and also mention who addressed the press. In such meetings, the Chairman of the PGF would address the press and open up on the decision of his forum. But for now, nothing like that,” a close source at the PGF said.

Indeed, a chieftain of the party said the leaders have not agreed on zoning hence the selling of forms is yet to begin. “On the issue of zoning and sale of forms, we are very much aware of the fact that our forms are ready. But party leaders are working on the issue of the possibility of zoning. The issue of whether the party will adopt zoning or not must be resolved before the aspirants would know what forms to buy. You can’t make people buy forms and then zone the positions away from their zones. If there won’t be zoning, aspirants will know what to do.”

READ ALSO: APC convention: Confusion over zoning of party offices

Also, a party source said though the PGF has the right to advise or make suggestions to the committee, just like any other group or organ in the party the governors have not written to the Committee on zoning.

“I understand their Tuesday’s meeting on zoning ended in deadlock, so don’t let anyone deceive you. Come to think of it, why would they zone a position to North Central and sat there immediately and picked only one aspirant? Is Akume the only aspirant from North Central? Why would they ask those from the South to go home and meet with aspirants and bring candidates for Deputy National Chairman and Secretary, but in the case of chairmanship, they said they have picked a particular person?

“I don’t believe such cock and bull story and I think nobody would even believe it. We have channels of communication in our party. APC is a ruling party that has everything. The Progressive Governors that I know are very experienced and principled. They would not want to send such a sensitive message to the CECPC via pages of newspapers.

“They have the right like any other organs of the party to advise the planning committee but nothing like that has happened. We are working diligently to see that the convention holds and with a credible outing too,” the source added.

Mr. Edwin Ochogwu, a House of Assembly aspirant from Benue State, on his part said, “the PGF is divided into three or four camps and the news could be the latest mischief by one of the groups to deceive other members of the PGF and the general public.”

APC group berates ex-PGFD-G over attacks on CECPC

Also, a group in the APC known as APC Great Minds has berated former Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum, PGF, Dr Salihu Moh. Lukman, for describing the APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, as an undertaker.

Lukman had in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari titled: “APC Convention: Caretaker or Undertaker,” accused the committee of not planning to hold the convention among others.

Reacting to Lukman’s allegation, the group said he was using the officialdom of the PGF to attack the leadership of the party “until he was sacked from that office by the enraged APC Governors who considered him unfit to continue to hold the office of the Director General of the PGF.  Since the garb of the PGF DG has been unceremoniously removed from his neck, he has decided to further untame his pen of fury against the leadership of the party again, this time as a ‘Freelance APC Campaigner.’

“The group said Lukman’s claim that there is no sign of a Convention “is not only laughable but also indicative of the fact that the erstwhile PGF DG is a confusion merchant.”

According to the group the CECPC has rolled out a timetable towards actualising the national convention; received reports from the Reconciliation Committee and have issued Certificates of Return to the State Chairmen; slated February 19, 2022 for the release of the list of convention Sub-Committees and the Secretary of the CECPC, Sen. John Akpan Udoedehe, has been briefing newsmen on the level of preparedness of the Committee for the Convention regularly.

But Dr Lukman said the Committee has not been communicating. How else do you communicate? The author of confusion said in his open letter that there are speculations of postponement and a grand plan to ensure the Convention does not hold. He even went further to accuse the CECPC Chairman, Gov. Mai Mala Buni of sit-tightism and an agenda to self-perpetuate. These allegations are frivolous, malicious, unintelligent, narrow and indicative of the scheming by the hirers of Lukman. Gov. Mai Mala Buni has been the best thing to have happened to our dear party at a tumultuous time.

He has grown the party to 41 million members, 9 million more than the entire population of Ghana. He has digitalized the party and brought in high profile members into the party. He has successfully conducted Congresses at the Wards, Local Government and State levels. And he has reconciled the party significantly as well as set the stage for a great Convention. He would be remembered by history as one of the greatest leaders our party got to know.’’

Younger successor

Meanwhile, youths of the party have asked the APC leadership to follow the advice of President Muhammadu Buhari for youth mainstreaming in its affairs.

They also asked the party and the president to support a younger person as his successor.

APC North-Central Zonal Youth Leader, Comrade Terver Aginde made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja at a one-day sensitization and capacity building retreat on active and meaningful participation in leadership.

He said: “I am happy that Nigerian youths, about three of them, are coming out to contest for positions as high as national chairmanship of the party. We are making progress with that and we will queue behind them to see if we can achieve the feat. We are also calling on the youths to succeed President Buhari. We will even prefer a youth within the age range of 40 to 50 to succeed President Buhari.”