Victor EzejaThe ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be currently engulfed in a whirlwind of confusion as President Muhammadu Buhari has within one week apparently endorsed two documents for zoning of the party national offices ahead of the March 26 National Convention.
The APC had after the initial controversy between the progressive governors forum/president Buhari and the Buni-led Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) over the mode of populating the national offices of the party, settled for consensus candidate for the national chairmanship position.
As the earlier scheduled party national national convention date of February 26 could not hold due to series of internal rift, a new date of March 26 was chosen.
To seal the arrangement, President President Buhari on February 25 signed a document for zoning of the offices across the six geo-political zones in the country.
Surprisingly, on March 1, 2022, after the meeting between the president and the APC governors, another zoning document, also signed page by page by the president emerged.
“What this goes to prove is deep confusion and crisis within the party which it’s likely not going to overcome as 2023 elections draw closer,” says a top national officer of the party.
In the first document of February 25, position of deputy national chairman North has the name of Hon. Farouk Aliyu Adamu from North-west, national secretary has the name of Sen. John Akpanudoedehe from South-south, while Ken Nnamani was named as the deputy national chairman South in the list.
However, the Second document endorsed by President on March 1, zoned the office of deputy national chairman (North) to North-east, national secretary zoned to South-west and deputy national auditor zoned to South-west instead of South-east as contained in the February 25 document.
For the post of deputy national chairman South, no name appeared in the March 1 document, and some offices for the zones also changed.
Prime Business Africa gathered that at the meeting between the president and the progressive governors forum in Abuja on March 1, he only endorsed Abdullahi Adamu, for the position of National Chairman and requested the governors to oversee the appointment of leaders for other offices allotted to their respective zones according to the document.
Commenting on the appearance of the two different lists, a reliable source privy to the meeting, on March 1 said, the zoning list approved by the president and the APC governors is the authentic list, “It dismisses the idea of Farouk Adamu as Deputy National Chairman (North) because he does not come from Northeast, (but from North West, the same zone with President Buhari),” the source stated.
As for the zoning list with February 25 sign off, another top national officer of the party, said, “The list is not an afterthought, it is the list of the ‘non convention Governors’. The Zoning list approved by Mr President March 1,2022 is different from the sign off of February 25. And the zones got different offices, as for example Secretary is now in South-west and not South-south.
With these developments, it appears the ruling party is now more divided between ‘Pro-convention’ and ‘Non-convention’ camps.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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