Lack of funds threatens APC March 26 National Convention

With just three days to the conduct of its national convention, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is in a dilemma over lack of funds as many governors in the party have refused to make contributions towards the event.

A member of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), who made the disclosure to Daily Independent on Tuesday said some of the governors who had earlier made promises to fund the convention have failed to fulfill their financial promises to the party.

He, however, added that despite the challenge, the party leadership, headed by Governor Mai Mala Buni is working assiduously towards making the convention a success.

When asked if the party may be forced to shift the date of the convention, he said that cannot happen as the March 26 date is sacrosanct.

He also added that some of the delegates are already in Abuja. “Yes, the party is cashstrapped, no doubt about that. Organising a national convention requires lots of money running into billions of naira but we don’t have the required funding at the moment.

The committee under Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, has been judiciously maximising the little resources at its disposal to ensure the convention is conducted on Saturday.

“Majority of the governors who had earlier promised to fund the convention are yet to do so. And you know, these are the major backbone of the party when it comes to funding.

However, let me assure you that the convention will not be postponed. No matter the challenges, we are working round the clock to ensure we have a successful event on Saturday”.

Daily Independent had earlier reported that majority of the APC governors who were unhappy with the manner President Muhammadu Buhari handled the leadership crisis in the party have resolved not to give any cooperation to the Buni-led caretaker committee as regards the convention.

The governors, led by Kaduna State governor, Nasir El- Rufai, and his Ondo State counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu, had earlier said Buni will not preside over the convention and declared support for Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello as the acting national chairman.

They said President Buhari gave them directives to remove Buni over alleged plans by him to frustrate the convention from holding on March 26.

However, the president last week returned Buni to his position as acting national chairman and asked the governors to cooperate with him.

In a related development, President Buhari has withdrawn his endorsement of former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, for the position of the national chairman.

An aide of the president, who spoke exclusively to Daily Independent on Tuesday, said the president’s decision not to back Adamu or any of the aspirants is to ensure a level playing ground where the best aspirants, who are the choice of the people can emerge.

“Some people who feel they are close to Mr. President sold the candidature of Senator Abdullahi Adamu to him.

Somehow, others too who have Mr. President’s ears have also toldhim the implication of using Adamu as APC national chairman. “So, Mr. President having listened to both parties now said he is no longer interested in any consensus again.

Let there be an open contest where the best person will emerge as the nation chairman.

“That is the reason why all the aspirants have picked the form. Even those who were initially reluctant to contest after it was reported that the president had endorsed Adamu have collected the forms.

“The president does not need any chairman for any personal ambition. Don’t forget, he is not contesting again and he has said he will retire to his farm after May 29.

“All he wants is to leave a stronger APC behind with a new set of leadership that can deliver the 2023 general elections to the party.

He has no anointed candidate at all and he wishes all the aspirants the very best”, he said. Earlier, reports that the president had endorsed Senator Adamu did not go down well with the party’s stakeholders, state governors and chairmanship aspirants.

Some governors, in a statement, said Senator Adamu is not a core member of the party, saying someone who knows the ins and outs of the party should be the one to head the party and not a former member of PDP.

The governors also alleged that his performance as the chairman of the APC Reconciliation Committee was also not encouraging to give him the mandate to lead the party. (Daily Independent)