After days of negotiations and disagreements, the preferred candidate of the President, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for the position of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, was ratified as the new party chairman late Saturday night.
The ratification of Adamu and other members of the incoming National Working Committee and Zonal Leaders of the party was part of activities at the convention of the party, which commenced on Saturday and ended in the early hours of Sunday at the Eagles Square, Abuja.
Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State, who had emerged as a consensus candidate, was not among those who initially expressed interest in the chairmanship position. However, he was later drafted into the race by the Presidency and some governors.
The persuasion and insistence by the President for Adamu’s emergence forced other aspirants for the national chairmanship position to grudgingly step down on Saturday.
Meanwhile, facts emerged on Saturday night on how leaders of the party across the country arrived at the consensus candidates for the various party positions.
The candidates, who made the Unity List compiled by the party leaders and various stakeholders, were ratified at the convention.
The list emerged shortly before the President arrived at the convention.
Our correspondent learnt from sources close to the party leadership that party leaders who successfully persuaded national chairmanship aspirants to step down for the President’s choice leveraged the opportunity to insist on their candidates being chosen for other positions.
Apart from Adamu, a former deputy governor of Osun State, Iyiola Omisore, was named as the party’s national secretary.
The ratified executives include Senator Abubakar Kyari (Borno State) as the Deputy National Chairman (North), Emma Eneukwu (Enugu State) as the Deputy National Chairman (South), Festus Fuanter (Deputy National Secretary), Muhazu Rijau (National Vice Chairman, North-Central), Mustapha Salihu (National Vice Chairman, North-East), Salihu Lukman (National Vice Chairman, North-West), Ijeoma Arodiogwu (National Vice Chairman, South-East), Victor Giadom (National Vice Chairman, South-South), and Isaac Kekemeke (National Vice Chairman, South-West).
Kekemeke a former APC Ondo State Chairman and ex-Ondo SSG, is the choice of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for the position.
Others are Ahmed El-Marzuk (National Legal Adviser), Uguru Ofoke (National Treasurer), Bashir Gumel (Financial Secretary), Suleiman Argungu (National Organising Secretary), Beta Edu (National Woman Leader), Abdullahi Israel (National Youth Leader), Tolu Bankole (Special Persons Leader), F.N Nwosu (National Welfare Secretary), Felix Morka (National Publicity Secretary), Abubakar Maikafi (National Auditor), Bashir Gumel (National Financial Secretary), Ibrahim Salawu (Deputy National Legal Adviser) and Omorede Osifo (Deputy National Treasurer).
Earlier on Saturday, six national chairmanship aspirants: George Akume (Benue State), Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Abdul’Aziz Yari (Zamfara), Sani Musa (Niger), Saliu Mustapha (Kwara) and Etsu Muhammed (Niger) stepped down for Adamu.
Two members of the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee, Ken Nnamani, a former Senate President, and Ismail Ahmed, a former National Youth Leader, both of whom were to contest positions at the convention lost out.
Nnamani lost to Enaukwu as the Deputy National Chairman (South) while Ahmed lost the National Organising Secretary position to Argungu from Kebbi State.
Enaukwu, a former national officer with the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party and the Congress for Progressives Change, was the National Vice Chairman (South-East) of the APC under Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Adams Oshiomhole leadership.
It was learnt that some members of the three political parties that merged to form the APC complained about the “too many members of the new-Peoples Democratic Party bloc” in the incoming NWC.
The three legacy political parties that formed the APC were the Action Congress of Nigeria, ANPP and CPC. However, factions of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and a breakaway group in the PDP, known as the nPDP, were among the founding fathers of the APC.
A minister, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said, “We are gradually becoming a branch of the PDP with the way we are going. The incoming national chairman and the national secretary were members of the PDP. There are others as well with solid PDP background.
“How then do we abuse the PDP during campaigns? Will people not ask us to differentiate between the PDP then and now? That is why we have to drop some of those proposed for top positions in the incoming NWC. Already, some are already taunting us, referring to us as another arm of the PDP.”
It took time to agree on Unity List – Bamidele
The senator representing Ekiti Central in the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, confirmed the rigours the party’s leadership and the President went through before arriving at the unity list.
He said, “Well, I think it was a wonderful thing for several aspirants to have come out to contest for the chairmanship of the party but I think it’s a better deal that the aspirants who have demonstrated capacity to reconcile. It was to the extent that nobody was forced to withdraw. It was an appeal. There was no pressure on anybody. It was an appeal that took a while.”
I thought I was a better candidate, but was denied, Dogara laments
Hours into the convention, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, pulled out of the race for the national deputy chairman (North).
In a letter addressed to the caretaker committee chairman, Mai Mala Buni, the former Speaker wrote in part, “It was thought that my emergence will no doubt strengthen the party’s position especially in Bauchi State in the North-East where the party couldn’t hold on to two states after just four years and indeed across all the states because of the extensive network and reach to serving and former members of the national assembly.
“But it turns out that our respected party leaders had better ideas. Consequently, they micro-zoned the position to Borno State whose stakeholders under the leadership of our amiable revolutionary leader, H.E Babagana Zulum and Sen Kashim Shetima, have endorsed a brother and long-standing supporter/ally, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, for the position.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State chapter of the APC said it settled for 36-year-old Dayo Israel and a former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Lateef Ibirogba, as National Youth Leader and South-West Zonal Organising Secretary respectively at a dinner with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
How Omisore leads S’West govs consensus’ list
The South-West unity list for the convention was released on Saturday before the convention commenced. In the list, Omisore was nominated as the National Secretary, dropping Engr Ife Oyedele from Ondo state and a former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu from Oyo state, who were aspirants for the position of National Secretary.
It was gathered that Oyedele backed by some strong chieftains of the party, was said to have been persuaded by stakeholders to step down for Omisore.
It was gathered that Omisore, who was the deputy to a former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, was nominated because of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
Omisore, whom Akande once described in unprintable words, was said to have been instrumental to APC’s victory in the last governorship election in Osun State.
A top source in the party said, “Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is not very comfortable with happenings in the party in the state due to the issues he has with his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola. The party needs Omisore again in this forthcoming election, so this position was a form of compensation and to secure his loyalty during the election.”
Consensus is dictatorship, not acceptable, says former minister
Meanwhile, a former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, who was an aspirant for the position of National Secretary, rejected the Unity List.
He told journalists that the consensus arrangement was a violation of his rights.
“For me, I will see the issue of consensus as an element of oppression against my person, against my rights and against the good people of Nigerians, so the question of stepping down does not arise,” he added.
“People tout the issue of consensus whenever they want to cheat others or engage in dictatorship. Consensus cannot be a compulsory agenda. We claim to be a progressive party, why are we not doing things differently from all other parties?
Even after 2023, Buhari‘ll continue to provide leadership for APC – Lawan
The Senate President in his remarks said Buhari would continue to provide leadership for the ruling party beyond 2023 when he leaves office.
He said Buhari’s ability to sustain unity within the party against all odds, positions him favourably as the “compass” needed to give direction to the party at all times.
“Let me be explicit; you will not be on the ballot in 2023, but you will remain the leading light and moral compass of APC even after your tenure finishes,” he added.
APC going through rebirth process, says Gbajabiamila
Also speaking, Gbajabiamila said the party, like our country, was going through a process of rebirth. “We have the power and opportunity to build a political party that can stand the test of time and lead our country to a future of abiding peace and universal prosperity,” he added.
FULL LIST: APC Consensus Candidates.
The list has the names of those who will form the next National Working Committee (NEC) of the ruling party.
There are a total of 76 names on the list which has been reproduced below:
- National Chairman: Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa State)
- Deputy National Chairman (North): Senator Abubakar Kyari (Borno State)
- Deputy National Chairman (South): Chief Emma Eneukwu (Enugu State)
- National Secretary: Otunba Iyiola Omisore (Osun State)
- Deputy National Secretary: Barr Fetus Fuanter (Plateau State)
- National Vice Chairman ((North Central): Muhazu Bawa Rijau (Niger State?
- Deputy Vice Chairman (North East): Mustapha Salihu (Adamawa State)
- National Vice Chairman (North West): Salihu Lukman (Kaduna State)
- National Vice Chairman (South East): Dr Ijeomah Arodiogbu (IMO State)
- National Vice Chairman (South South): Chief Hon Victor Ton Gladom (Rivers State)
- National Vice Chairman (South West): D. I. Kekemeke (Ondo State)
- National Legal Adviser: Barr Ahmed El-Marzuk (Katsina State)
- National Treasurer: Uguru Matthew Ofoke (Ebonyi State)
- National Financial Secretary: Bashir Usman Gumel (Jigawa State)
- National Organizing Secretary: Suleiman M. Argungun (Kebbi State)
- National Welfare Secretary: Barr (Sir) F.N. Nwosu (Abia State)
- National Publicity Secretary: Bart Felix Morka (Delta State)
- National Auditor: Sen Abubakar Maikafi (Bauchi State)
- National Women Leader: Dr Betta Edu (Cross River State)
- National Youth Leader: Abdullahi Dayo Israel (Lagos State)
- Special (Persons With Disability) Leader: Tolu Bankole (Ogun State)
- Deputy National Legal Adviser: Barr Ibrahim Salahu (Kwara State)
- Deputy National Treasurer: Hon Omorede Osifo (Edo State)
- Deputy National Financial Secretary: Hon Hamma-Adama Ali Kumo (Gombe State)
- Deputy National Organizing Secretary: Nze Chidi Duru (Anambra State)
- Deputy National Publicity Secretary: Yakubu Murtala Ajaka (Kogi State)
- Deputy National Welfare Secretary: Dr Christopher Akpan (Akwa Ibom State)
- Deputy National Auditor: Olufemi Egbedeyi (Oyo State)
- Deputy National Women Leader: Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim (Taraba State)
- Deputy National Youth Leader: Jamaluddeen Kabir (Zamfara State)
- National Ex-officio (North Central): Oluwatoyin Opawuye (Kwara State)
- National Ex-officio (North East): Sirajo Dahuwa (Bauchi State)
- National Ex-officio (North West): Aliyu Ahmed Yako (Kano State)
- National Ex-officio (South East): Rt. Hon. Agunwa Anekwe ((Anambra State)
- National Ex-officio (South South): Hon. Diriwari Akedewei (Bayelsa State)
- National Ex-officio (South West): Mrs Bunmi Oriniowo (Ekiti State)
- Zonal Secretary (North Central): Yakubu Muhammad Adamu (FCT)
- Zonal Secretary (North East): Muhammad Wali Shettima (Yobe State)
- Zonal Secretary (North West): Barr Bello Goronyo (Sokoto State)
- Zonal Secretary (South East): Azosu Innocent Itafa (Ebonyi State)
- Zonal Secretary (South South): Dr Ita Udosen (Akwa Ibom State)
- Zonal Secretary (South West): Vincent Beewaji (Ekiti State)
- Zonal Legal Adviser (North Central): Barr Hadiza Aliyu (Kogi State)
- Zonal Legal Adviser (North East): Barr Dauda Chakpo (Taraba State)
- Zonal Legal Adviser: (North West): Barr Bashir Usaini Dutse (Jigawa State)
- Zonal Legal Adviser (South East): Barr Mayor Ogbona Ernest (Ebonyi State)
- Zonal Legal Adviser (South South): Nil
- Zonal Legal Adviser (South West): Ismail Kolawole Majoro (Oyo State)
- Zonal Organizing Secretary (North Central): Hon Ahmed Attah (Kogi State)
- Zonal Organizing Secretary (North East): Abubakar Adamu Musa (Taraba State)
- Zonal Organizing Secretary (North West): Salisu Uba (Zamfara State)
- Zonal Organizing Secretary (South East): Dozie Ikedife (Anambra State)
- Zonal Organizing Secretary (South South): Hon. Blessing Agbome (Edo State)
- Zonal Organizing Secretary (South West): Lateef Ibirogba (Lagos State)
- Zonal Publicity Secretary (North Central): Barr John Okoho (Benue State)
- Zonal Publicity Secretary (North East): Lamido Muhammed (Gombe State)
- Zonal Publicity Secretary (North West): Musa Makafiya (Zamfara State)
- Zonal Publicity Secretary (South East): Mr Augustine Onyedebelu (IMO State)
- Zonal Publicity Secretary (South South): Nil
- Zonal Publicity Secretary (South West): Ayo Afolabi (Osun State)
- Zonal Women Leader (North Central): Oluwatoyin Opawuye (Kwara State)
- Zonal Women Leader (North East): Hon. Zainab Abubakar Alman (Gombe State)
- Zonal Women Leader (North West): Hajiya Hadiza Shagari (Sokoto State)
- Zonal Women Leader (South East): Hon. Mimi Uchenna Diyoke (Enugu State)
- Zonal Women Leader (South South): Miss Caroline Owugha (Bayelsa State)
- Zonal Women Leader (South West): Mrs Yetunde Adesanya (Ogun State)
- Zonal Youth Leader (North Central): Zubairu Aliyu (Kwara State)
- Zonal Youth Leader (North East): Jason Baba Kwaghe (Adamawa State)
- Zonal Youth Leader (North West): Abdulhamid Umar Muhammed (Kano State)
- Zonal Youth Leader (South East): Hon. Ikenna Anyalewechi (Abia State)
- Zonal Youth Leader (South South): Comrade Ebimobowe (Delta State)
- Zonal Youth Leader (South West): Kolade Lawal (Ondo State)
- Zonal Leader of Persons With Disability (North Central): Laho Lazarus Audu (Benue State)
- Zonal Leader of Persons With Disability (North East): Muhammed Baba Isa (Yobe State)
- Zonal Leader of Persons With Disability (North West): Lawal Na Rago (Kano State)
- Zonal Leader of Persons With Disability (South East): Dr Nwachikwu Stanley Chinedu (Imo State )
- Zonal Leader of Persons With Disability (South South): Chief Edet Asia (Cross River State)
- Zonal Leader of Persons With Disability (South West): Mashood Erubami (Oyo State)
