TAIWO FAROTIMI
After a number of postponements the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC converge in Abuja today for its national convention. As delegates arrive the Eagle Square, venue of the event, there are fears that some skirmishes at the state levels may create crisis at the convention, if not well handled. About 6, 800 delegates are expected to participate at the convention, but the reported decision by the convention committee to deny some “non statutory ” delegates accreditation may raise the temperature of the environment.
It is believed that the states that may pose problem are states where there are proven court cases over the congresses that were supposed to produce delegates. Such states include Imo, Cross River, Oyo, and Rivers. The parallel congresses held in those states pitched governors or their godfathers against ministers. Now where there is a stalemate , and the delegates are denied accreditation, the convention committee may be more inclined to allow only governors, serving and former, from the affected states, serving senators and members of House of Representatives, Senate president and Reps speaker , serving and former to vote. That locks out ministers, commissioners, local government chairmen or any appointee of the government of APC at the state level.
But the delegates are already in Abuja (with the exception of some of those involved in a road crash on their way from Taraba State).
Already, there are apprehension that some of the pre-Convention arrangements may create crisis within the party. Leaders from the southeast at a press conference appear to have issued a subtle threat to the national leadership, because they suspect that the alleged “unity list” did not factor in the interest of leaders in their zone.
At a press conference in Abuja held by state party chairmen of Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra, the leaders said any arrangement that sidelines leaders like Ogbonaya Onu, Sullivan Chime, Chris Ngige and Jim Nwobodo will be resisted. Tony Nwoye of Enugu who read the press statement on behalf he f his colleagues stated, “If you produce a list that wants to affront to the needs, demands and opinions of these leaders, that means we will go back to 2015 when we were all unable to contribute to vote.”
That should send some signals to the president. So there may likely be some misunderstandings, particularly when major party leaders, including governors and ministers, some of who are also close to the president, are involved.
What that means is that the convention committee and the 5,000 police personnel posted for the event will have a lot of work to do.
179 aspirants are jostling for 62 offices. But of the 62, 21 are already decided and so the aspirants for the affected offices will be returned unopposed. One of them is the position of the national chairman, which has been decided for Adams Oshiomhole, former governor of Edo State. Believed to be the anointed candidate of President Muhammadu Buhari for the office, Oshiomhole who will head the National Executive Committee, NEC into the general election is taking over from his kinsman and predecessor in office, John Odigie-Oyegun.
