APC chairmanship: We will respect aspirants who reject zoning – Govs’ forum

Although the All Progressives Congress has zoned its national chairmanship to the North-Central, the Progressive Governors Forum said on Wednesday in Abuja that aspirants from other zones would be considered for the top seat.

This is because it stated that the best way to choose its next chairman is by consensus. As a result, it would back the President’s choice.

Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, the PGF Chairman, stated this shortly after the governors met with President Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) at the Presidential Villa.

The APC had already zoned top offices such as the national chairman and national secretary to the North-Central and South-West, respectively, when it opened its doors to chairmanship aspirants a few weeks ago.

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According to Our Reporter, former Zamfara State Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari, a North-West candidate, bought the N20 million form regardless.

In response to a question about this, Bagudu stated that the APC, as a democratic party, respects the choice of stakeholders who wish to run for positions that are not zoned to their regions.

“Our party is a democratic party,” he explained. We will always advocate for consensus and respect for the party’s decisions, because the distribution of political party offices here has been approved by the party’s highest organ, the National Caretaker Committee, which is acting in their capacity as the party’s National Executive Committee.

“However, where people choose to go against the grain, the party constitution allows them to do so because we would never do anything that is undemocratic.” Mr. President has always pushed for consensus on all issues because it is in line with democratic principles.”

The PGF, however, would support a process that would ensure the emergence of new leaders without the need for open contests, according to the Kebbi Governor.

When asked about the chairmanship squabble that occurred two weeks ago while the President was in London for a medical check-up, Bagudu stated that the governors are now united.

“As some of you may recall, a letter was widely circulated in the media last week addressed to me as the chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and copied to a number of others, including the chairman of the caretaker committee, the acting chairman of the caretaker committee, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.”

“As a result of that letter, we had meetings with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee, Acting Chairman Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State, as he was then, and myself, where we all reaffirmed our commitment to working together to ensure that the convention takes place on March 26, 2022,” he said.

The Chairman stated that while the governors may disagree on various issues, they remain united on the principle of ensuring the emergence of credible leaders in the party.

“…we are united, and to that extent, we will support any process that leads to consensus and the emergence of leaders without the need for elections,” he continued. Naturally, there will be bumps in the road, but we’ve already overcome them. And we are a human organization, which is prone to eliciting emotions and anxieties at times. But we are one and the same.”

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was in attendance, as were 16 governors from the states of Kebbi, Plateau, Kogi, Yobe, Ogun, Kaduna, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Imo, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Borno, and Osun.