The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has settled for December as month for its National Convention, following the completion of its nationwide Ward, Local governments and state congresses.
The decision of the party was disclosed weekend by a top chieftain of the party who said that the party had also set up a committee to harmonize the zoning of its national offices among the six geo political zones, adding that the list of the committee members would announced before end of the week by the National Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee.
The chieftain, who crave for anonymity said that the zoning committee has already been constituted to harmonize the zoning as done by the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee also revealed that North Central would produce the National Chairman.
According to him, North East would produce, National Organizing Secretary and National Treasurer, while South East and South South were allocated the offices of Deputy National Chairman and National Secretary respectively.
It would be recalled that the Governor Mai Mala Buni led National Caretaker Committee had approved the reports of the party appeal committees that upheld all the ward, local government and state congresses organized by the CECPC, hence it has arrived at the December date
The AUTHORITY gathered further that the readiness of the party to conduct the National Convention was streamed from the fact that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party would conclude the National Convention over the weekend, even as he attributed the delay in the APC National Convention to the close watch of what is happening in the opposition party.
“With PDP concluding its National Convention this weekend, the APC would roll out its timetable for the convention.
“The party has concluded the zoning arrangement, just to set up a Committee to ratify the zoning of offices.
“What you should understand is that the zoning of party offices would also affect the zoning of political offices. It would not be what happened in 2019 where one zone got major offices without other zones getting any,” the APC chieftain assured.
The National Convention is however coming amidst crisis generated by the just concluded ward, local government and state party congresses which was allegedly charactarized by imposition and factional congresses.
The outcome of the crisis in the state congress produced factional leadership in some states.
Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Kwara, Ogun, Delta, Rivers, Kano and some other states are said to have factional state executives.
However, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni stated while inaugurating the Senator Abdullahi Adamu led National Reconciliation Committee that the report of the committee would determine the conduct of the National Convention.
He words, “Your report on resolution of these discrepancies would indicate our readiness as a united and strong family for the national convention. Your assignment therefore, has great impact and influence on the convention.”
Meanwhile the Senator Abdullahi Adamu is said to have submitted a budget proposal of N178 million.
A source at the National Secretariat of the party who revealed this to The AUTHORITY at the weekend stated that the budget proposal was submitted last week.
The source could not however give the breakdown of the budget as well as the duration of the committee’s job
The 9-man Committee was set up by the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee after abandoning the Chief Bisi Akande-led committee set up by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole sacked National Working Committee (NWC).
Members of the Committee are: Senator Abdullahi Adamu, the Minister of Special Duties and former Benue State governor, George Akume; former Enugu State governor, Sullivan Chime; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; and the Third Republic governor of Jigawa State, Saad Birnin Kudu.
Other members are former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Oluranti Adebule, Secretary to the Kebbi State Government, Suleiman Argungu, the Commissioner for Health in Cross River State, Beta and Moses Adeyemo, who will serve as the secretary of the committee.
The Committee which was constituted in September was inaugurated by the Governor of Yobe State and Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state last month.
Governor Buni tasked the committee to conduct appropriate engagement between identified groups in each State where there are disputes with a view to bringing about genuine reconciliation and establishing lasting peace and unity in the Party and to consult with Party Leaders and Concerned Members as the Committee deems necessary with a view to achieving peace therein.
The committee was also asked to critically examine areas of conflict on the just concluded Ward and Local Government Congress and advance solutions in the circumstance.
“The task before this committee is very important and crucial. The committee is to reconcile, harmonize, integrate and unite members of the party. It is also expected to resolve real or seeming differences and to cement all cracks for us to approach the National Convention with a united front.
“Your report on resolution of these discrepancies would indicate our readiness as a united and strong family for the national convention. Your assignment therefore, has great impact and influence on the convention,” Governor Buni noted
