48 hours to convention: APC in last minute rush for consensus, as aspirants defy Buhari

Since the founding of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2013, the party has never had more than one candidate for National Chairman at a convention.

Former Governor of Osun State Bisi Akande served as a temporary governor after the merger, while Tom Ikimi declined to attend the 2014 convention that produced John Oyegun. Later, Ikimi called the 2014 conference a “sham.”

The party made sure Adams Oshiomhole was a consensus candidate in his situation.

Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s demand that the party field a consensus candidate, 2022 has proved to be an exception.

Despite the fact that the office of National Chairman is designated to the North-Central, several candidates from beyond the area have resisted the system. Former governors of Zamfara and Borno, Abdulaziz Yari and Alimodu Sherrif, have refused to follow the President’s orders or the zoning agreement.

Mr. Yari remarked on Tuesday night, while lobbying members of the House of Representatives on behalf of the APC, that since Buhari, with his 12 million votes, will not be on the ballot next year, the party needs a strong leader. He bragged that the Northwest received 35% of the party’s total vote.

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Similarly, North-Central candidates George Akume, Tanko Almakura, Sani Musa, Abdulahi Adamu, Saliu Mustapha, and Muhammed Etsu have all refused to resign for anybody.

While the Governors are said to have nominated Senator Abdulahi Adamu, a former Governor of Nasarawa, as a consensus choice, the candidate’s age has been a problem.

“Do you know how much we have spent so far, then you will bring one octogenarian to preside over a party,” a source in Salihu Mustapha’s camp stated yesterday when the contender visited the National Assembly on Wednesday. That’s not going to work.”

“With the convention only two days away, I ask you to come together and sort out all the remaining party positions so that within the next 24 hours, we can arrive at a unity list that we can present to the convention,” President Buhari said at a meeting with governors on Wednesday night.

“Finally, all people who have purchased interest forms and have been dropped should have their money reimbursed as soon as possible.”

“Ticket money is least, you know how long some of the candidates had opened campaign offices in Abuja?” the source added when called again. Paying employees and arranging logistics for consultations. This last-minute scramble will not succeed.”

Despite this, according to Abubakar Bagudu, the governor of Kebbi State, the President appears to be optimistic about finding a consensus candidate.

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“We all informed Mr. President on that today, and we all expressed our support for Mr. President’s endorsement of the candidate for the party’s National Chairman,” he added.

It’s unclear how much power the President wields over the party.

It will be noted that when the President “purportedly dismissed” Mai Mala Buni, the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, called the President’s bluff.

After Buni refused to resign and INEC refused to recognize Sani Bello, President Buhari was forced to amend his position.