APC committee to release convention guidelines

After being warned by President Muhammadu Buhari to put its house in order, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is expected to announce its convention programme today.

Monday, caretaker chairman Mai Mala Buni briefed the President at Aso Villa, Abuja, on the plans, which will be ratified at today’s meeting of the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

At the meeting, major considerations would be given to the convention date and the need to hold it not later than the end of February as proposed by the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), led by Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu.

According to a party source, the meeting is also to deliberate on other modalities, particularly the mode of the convention, whether direct primary, delegate system or consensus.

The source said the National Caretaker Committee is also expected to assess the activities of the reconciliation committee headed by Senator Abdullahi Adamu and the likely impact of the unresolved rancorous state congresses on the preparation for the convention.

The source also hinted that the caretaker committee may indicate the direction of its zoning formula for the distribution of the national party offices across the six geo-political zones.

Yesterday, Buni stormed the Aso Villa, the seat of government to brief President Buhari on the agenda of the meeting.

The source said: “The CECPC is holding its 19th regular meeting today. The caretaker committee will ratify the timetable for the National Convention, announce the convention date and roll out a comprehensive plan for the convention, which will hold in Abuja.”

APC governors on Sunday resolved after their meeting in Abuja that the proposed convention slated for next month was sacrosanct.

Bagudu said the forum discussed the convention after considering a briefing by Buni on the level of preparedness.

He said: “It is the responsibility of the CECPC to do that. We are just a section of the stakeholders and we have conceded that duty to the caretaker and very soon, they will brief you on the date.”

The PGF chairman debunked media reports about cracks within the forum.

He said: “You can see with this large turnout of our members. There is no division among us as wrongly reported in the media. We are one united body.”

Bagudu said the meeting passed a vote of confidence in the caretaker committee for the leadership provided by the chairman and the two other governors on the committee.

He said the forum reaffirmed its loyalty to President Buhari and pledged to continue to support the programmes of the administration.

The PGF emergency meeting was summoned by Bagudu, following crises over the delay in organising the convocation.

No fewer than 20 governors attended the meeting, which kicked off at about 8:30 pm and lasted for about three and a half hours at the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge in the Asokoro District, Abuja.

They included Buni, Babagana Zulum (Borno), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Ben Ayade (Cross River), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Bello Matawalle (Zamfara) and David Umahi (Umahi).

Other were Gboyega Oyetola (Osun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Solomon Lalong (Plateau), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Abdulrasaki Abdulrahaman (Kwara), Umar Ganduje (Kano) and Deputy Governor of Anambra, Nkemakonam Okeke. (The Nation )