…North central Govs, attack Bagudu, Badaru, reject Nat, chairmanship offer
…No agreement yet on zoning
…CECPC considers March 5 as new convention date
By Ezeocha Nzeh
There is growing confusion within the ruling All Progressives Congress APC over the purported decision of Governors of the party to zone the national chairmanship to the North Central ahead of the February 26 national convention.
The AUTHORITY gathered reliably that the APC Progressives Governors Forum, have after meeting for two days disagreed against each other, over the zoning of offices ahead of the planned February 26 national Convention.
Sources close to the meeting told our correspondent that while the Governors from the North West have proposed the zoning of the party’s national chairmanship position to the North central, obviously to position themselves for the either the presidency or vice presidential positions in the 2023 elections, their colleagues from the North central, obviously targeting same position in 2023, vehemently rejected the offer, thereby throwing the forum into more confusion
A ranking member of the APC caretaker and Extra Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), who was at the meeting revealed that the February 26 date for the convention is no longer sacrosanct, with barely one week to go, adding that the CECPC could propose a new date, may be march 3 or 5
“Yes, they (Governors) met but they could not resolve on the zoning. Although many who spoke were in support of zoning the chairmanship position to North Central, but it was not concluded yet.
“The PGF’s meeting on Tuesday on zoning ended in deadlock, because the governors from the North east reject the zoning of national chairman to them. They saw it as a plot by their colleagues to ease them out of the 2023 political calculations. You know every governor from the North is either eyeing the presidency or vice president.
“For us at the CECPC, we are ready for the convention, but with the way the governors are going, I seriously doubt if that February 26 date will hold. I doubt, with barely one week to go. Well, lets be watching nothing is impossible
“We need to secure the Eagle Square, go for security, commence sale of forms and do so many other things in readiness for the convention, all these will take much time,” the CECPC disclosed
The source revealed further that the governors from North central zone were united in their rejection of the party’s national chairmanship position, adding that they openly attacked the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) chairman, Governor Abubakar Atiku Badaru of Kebbi state, and his Jigawa state counterpart, Abubakar Badaru for zoning the the NWC offices, even as they alleged conspiracy against the two governors
“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?” the North central governors were said to have fumed against their North west counterparts
Speaking on the zoning that was reported by some media houses on Thursday, the source said, “Did you see the National Secretary signature on it.?
“People cannot be talking about zoning of the party offices without the Caretaker Committee. I am asking you, did you see official statement from the party.?
“If you want to report something, report that the North Central governors came out to say they don’t want National chairmanship to come to their zone. The same with North East.
“The North west is trying to push those who are looking for the Vice President out from the North Central with the zoning of the National Chairmanship to the zone. There was a disagreement. They never agreed. Their meeting ended up in fiasco. I am giving you this authoritatively.”
When asked for emphasis if the two zones are running aware from the National Chairmanship position of the party, he said, “Yes. The North Central governors told the Kebbi and Jigawa governors, why are you trying to push things to our zone.?”
He said the Caretaker Committee members are keeping quite because the Progressive Governors Forum ,(PGF) is one of the pressure groups of APC. “They have other pressure groups but the governors have become domineering and why would party leaders take everything they say.
“That was how they push this date, Feb.26 for the Caretaker Committee for to the National Convention. The party has three elections that day. Possibly, the Caretaker Committee didn’t
say anything because that was what the public wanted.”
