The national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja has become a beehive of activities as the party’s March 26 national convention looms.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is especially as aspirants and their supporters continue to throng the secretariat to pick nomination for elective and party positions.
The supporters of aspirants, wearing branded T-shirts, were seen carrying posters of their principals and chanting solidarity songs.
While the aspirants were not at the party’s secretariat, their representatives picked the forms on their behalf.
Mr Lawrence Unuchukwu, Director-General, Abudulahi Adamu Campaign Organisation who picked the party’s chairmanship form on behalf of Sen. Adamu, told newsmen that the senator has capacity and capability to pilot its affairs.
According to him, Adamu’s antecedents, especially as governor of Nasarawa State and Chairman of the APC National Reconciliation Committee, stands him out among other aspirants.
He added that the story making the rounds that Adamu was the anointed candidate of President Muhammad Buhari was a plus for him.
“If that rumour is something to go by, for me, it is a boast to us,’’ he said.
This, he said, was especially because the president as a man of integrity would not want to associate with someone who does not have capacity to pilot the party’s affairs.
He added that because the APC, like any other political party had challenges, it needed a man with administrative experience to pilot its affairs and take it to higher level.
“Our president has done well, but he needs a national chairman who will support his legacies and programmes as he is leaving office.
“Everybody has done his best, especially Gov. Mai Mala Buni, Chairman of the APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
“In life you will start from somewhere and end somewhere for another person to start from there.
“I can assure you that with Adamu who has seen it all as the next national chairman of the APC, the party’s advancement is guaranteed,’’ he said.
Also at the party’s secretariat, was Sen. Tijjani Kaura. He picked the national chairmanship form for Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara.
When reminded that the party’s chairmanship position had been zoned to the North-Central by its leadership, Kaura said his group was not aware of that.
He said that the zoning of the party’s chairmanship position to the North-Central does not matter to Yari’s camp because it had some contending issues.
“As far as we are concerned there are contending issues concerning zoning.
“First, we are fully aware that the national championship has been zoned to the North and the presidency has been zoned to the South.
“As you are aware, all positions of the party that were hitherto in the South will go to the North. Zamfara being in the North is therefore well qualified,’’ he said.
“We are very ready for the party’s national convention slated for March 26,’’ Kaura stressed.
He added that Yari being one of the founding fathers of the APC had contributed immensely and greatly to its development and was ready to lead it to the next stage.
He said what the party needed at the moment, was a unifier.
He added that there was the need for the party’s leadership to proffer better ways to manage its internal crisis to prevent it from disintegrating.
“This is a party formed by the coming together of many parties. If care is not taken, the party will be so divided, but Yari as a founding father will ensure that the party does not disintegrate,’’ he said.
NAN reports that Sen. Bananas Gemade was also at the APC secretariat to pick the form for Dr George Akume, Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs who is also in the party’s chairmanship race.
Gemade, who represented Benue East Constituency of Benue at the 9th Senate, was a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The APC fixed its chairmanship form at N20 million and its National Secretary and Deputy National Chairman South and North forms at N10 million.
The forms for all other National Working Committee (NWC) positions will be sold at N5 million, while forms for all other National Executive Committee positions will be sold for N1 million.
Forms for other positions at the zones, with the exception of the National Vice-Chairman which is also a member of the NWC, would be sold at N500,000.
Forms will be sold to women and people with physical challenges at 50 per cent of the prescribed fees. (NAN)
