Investigations have also revealed that the alleged plan to hold the National Convention alongside the presidential primary as suggested by the Senate Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu would also not be feasible as too many stakeholders are opposed to it.
It was further gathered from the sources that the quest for the consensus option was to ease tension across board, following suspicion in certain quarters that it could result in what was witnessed in many states when state congresses were conducted last year.
Also, the need for the option became more pressing following comments by President Muhammadu Buhari that the APC might lose in 2023 if there is no compromise on the hard-line positions adopted by the various party stakeholders.
Currently, there are eight APC national chairmanship contenders, each holding a strong grip on their immediate constituencies, as rival contenders make an incursion into their areas of influence.
Instead of stepping down, he said the aspirants all have intensified their bid for endorsement across the country.
“The party has been delaying the National Convention to explore opportunities for consensus because with the nature of the grievances arising from the state congresses, going into National Convention without reaching compromise will not be in the interest of the party. If members go into an election, the outcome will be more rancorous than the crises in the state chapters. But none of the aspirants, particularly the former governors, is ready to shift ground,” the source explained.
The source explained that the National Caretaker Committee of the party might meet on Tuesday as part of the efforts to find a common ground among the various interest groups within the party.
And to compound the challenges, another contender has joined the already crowded field.
He is Mr Sani Shinkafi, an aide to Zamfara State Governor, Mr Bello Matawalle who is believed to be opposed to the aspiration of his predecessor, Mr Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari to become the next national chairman of the party.
The emergence of Shinkafi, it was learnt, is to whittle down the support base of Yari.
Younger elements in the party such as Mr Saliu Mustapha from Kwara State, Senator Sani Musa representing Niger East in the Senate, and Sunny Moniedafe from Adamawa State, are also in the race.
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