After a protracted delay of its National Convention, which had led to a leadership crisis, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday successfully held the exercise where it affirmed a former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu as its National Chairman.
Using the voice vote system, the APC delegates at the convention elected Adamu and other consensus candidates on its ‘Unity List’ as its national and zonal officers.
President Muhammadu Buhari used the occasion to call on members of the ruling party to remain strong and united just as the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, said the president would remain the compass of APC even after leaving office by May 2023.
This is also coming as the outgoing chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling APC and Yobe State Governor, Mr. Mai Mala Buni, said with a 41 million membership base, the party would remain in power beyond 2023.
For Adamu to emerge as consensus national chairman, six aspirants vying for the position stepped down from the race and backed the candidate of President Buhari.
This was contained in a letter sent to the Chairman of the APC Election Sub-Committee on Friday, signed by the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, who was also among those vying for the position.
The candidates who stepped down are Senator Tanko Al-Makura, Akume, Abdulaziz Yari, Saliu Mustapha, Senator Sani Musa Mohammed, Etsu Mohammed.
Adamu emerged as the National Chairman of the ruling party alongside Senator Abubakar Kyari from Borno State, who emerged as Deputy National Chairman (North); Mr. Emma Eneukwu from Enugu State, who was affirmed as Deputy National Chairman (South); a former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, who was elected National Secretary; and Mr. Festus Fuanter from Plateau State, who is now Deputy National Secretary. Other national officers include Mr. Muhazu Bawa Rijau from Niger State, who is the National Vice Chairman (North-central); Mr. Mustapha Salihu from Adamawa State, who is the National Vice Chairman (North-east); Mr. Salihu Lukman from Kaduna who emerged as the National Vice Chairman (North-east); Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogwu from Imo State, who emerged as the National Vice Chairman (South-east); Mr. Victor Giadom from Rivers State, who is the National Vice Chairman (South-south); and Mr. Isaacs Kekemeke from Ondo State, who is the National Vice Chairman (South-west).
The rest include Mr. Ahmed El-Marzuk from Katsina State, who is the new National Legal Adviser; Mr. Uguru Matthew Ofoke from Ebonyi State, who emerged as National Treasurer; Mr. Bashir Usman Gumel from Jigawa State, who is the National Financial Secretary; Mr. Suleiman M Argungun from Kebbi State who is the National Organising Secretary; and Mr. Felix Morka from Delta State, who is the new National Publicity Secretary, among others (see table).
Speaking during the convention, President Buhari called on members of the ruling party to remain united and strong and also support the incoming leadership of the party ahead of the forthcoming 2023 general election in the country.
Speaking at the Eagle Square, Abuja, venue of the exercise, the president said the convention was coming at a crucial time when there is a need to prepare for another round of a general election.
He said: “Therefore, the need to remain strong and united for the Party to exploit the rich and abundant potentials at its disposal cannot be overemphasised. We appreciate the right to hold different opinions and aspirations; however, such differences must not be to the detriment of the party.
“I passionately appeal to you all to support the incoming National Working Committee (NWC) to promote unity and avoid sentiments that are capable of causing disaffection and disunity. For those aspiring for party and public offices, your failure to realise such aspirations for party offices or to fly the party’s flag, should not be a basis for a campaign of calumny against the party. We should have the spirit of sportsmanship and always support the party to succeed.”
President Buhari enjoined the new NWC members to promote internal democracy and equal opportunities and ensure that party primaries are not influenced by “highest bidders” going into the 2023 elections.
He commended the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee for steering the ship of the party this far including; reconciling aggrieved party members, purchasing a new party secretariat, and launching an aggressive membership drive that saw three governors defecting into the APC, among others.
“It is gratifying that the party recorded massive and unprecedented defections under the caretaker committee administration. APC received three sitting governors, a deputy governor, senators, members of the House of Representatives and state assemblies, and other key officials from opposition parties who defected along with millions of their supporters.
“I am impressed to learn that the membership registration and revalidation exercise undertaken by the caretaker committee, has recorded over 41 million members. This has proved that we are indeed Nigeria’s leading and largest political party. It also exhibits our numerical strength and the potential to win elections at all given times fairly and squarely.”
The president, who adduced reasons for his recent intervention in the affairs of the party, assured that it was not intended to muzzle dissenting voices.
According to him: “Recently, l had cause to intervene in the leadership crisis which was about to confuse the party. Such internal disputes are common in young democracies such as ours, but we must avoid overheating the polity and not allow our differences to tear and frustrate the party.
“As I said earlier, it does not do anybody or the party any good, when we, as leaders, go down so low and resort to backstabbing and name-calling in the media.”
President Buhari called on all politicians and the electorate to abide by the new Electoral Act “to promote the process of election, enhance transparency, fill in existing gaps and add value to Nigeria’s democracy for our democracy to thrive.”
Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha, Udora Orizu and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
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