APC: Group welcomes postponement of national convention for Zonal Congress

In reaction to the postponement of national convention of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), a pressure group within the party known as ‘Concerned APC Stakeholders Forum’ (CASF), has expressed satisfaction with the development.

The Governor Mai Buni led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), had on Monday, after an extensive stakeholders’ meeting, transmitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), intimating the umpire the decision to hold zonal congresses on Saturday, 26th March, instead of the planned national convention for this Saturday.

Dr. Abdulkadir Suleiman, the Executive Secretary of CASF, in a statement on Monday, hailed the decision of the CECPC, describing it as a “right direction” for the party.

The statement also commended President Muhammad Buhari, “for always been a listening father who wants to see the APC continue his legacies in office after 2023”.

The group, while throwing its weight behind the zonal congresses scheduled for March 26 across the country, said that it would have been disastrous and a breach to the party’s constitution, if the national convention was allowed to hold before the zonal congress.

“It is like putting the cart before the horse. How on earth would they even be thinking of having the national convention before the zonal congress? It is embedded in our constitution that, there shall be offices which should be held by zonal officers and it is only the zonal congress that can produce them.

“The party conducted ward congress, local government congress and the state, where officers were elected into their respective offices. But jumping the zonal congress for national convention is akin to jumping the gun, and we are happy that the CECPC has retraced its steps and has moved the party back on right direction.

“The Buni led committee should be commended for its courage to postpone the exercise in line with the wishes of the majority of party men and women. This courageous decision alone, will go along way to position our party on the pedestrian of victory, unity and peace”, the statement said.

Dr. Suleiman stressed the need to also use the period to rally round all the aggrieved persons and bring everyone on same page, saying, the party would come to the national convention as one big and united family.

“We even wish that the convention is shifted for 6 months, to allow for genuine reconciliation of all aggrieved persons across the country and the litany of court cases resolved. So we come to Abuja united as a big indivisible family and speak with one voice”, he added.

No date has been fixed for the postponed national convention yet.