The National Chairmanship aspirants of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday continue to push their interests to be elected against President Muhammadu Buhari’s adoption of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as his preferred aspirant.
Abdullahi Adamu, a foundation member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defected to the All Progressives Congress after he served as governor of Nasarawa State for eight years. He was drafted into the APC National Chairmanship race lately after the party concluded its zoning arrangement with National Chairmanship office zoned to the North Central Nigeria.
President Buhari’s endorsement of Senator Adamu was considered distaste to so many Chairmanship aspirants to the extent that he had a dinner with them and revealed Abdullahi Adamu as his choice, but the aspirants still went ahead to purchase nomination forms
CAPITAL POST scooped for information in the eve of the convention and early Saturday which is the day of the convention and discovered that supporters of various Chairmanship aspirants were still in show of strength, suggesting that their principals have told them to insist on election rather than consensus.
A Senator and an aspirant from the North Central and pleaded anonymity told this online that he still in the race and was optimistic that he would defeat President Buhari’s choice and others.
It is recalled that President Buhari on Wednesday held a meeting with all the aspirants and told them to support Senator Adamu. He also instructed that they should be refunded of their nomination forms.
The aspirants who attended the late-night meeting with the president on Wednesday include Mr Adamu, Tanko Al-Makura, George Akume, Abdul’aziz Yari, Saliu Mustapha, Sani Musa, and Muhammed Etsu.
It could not be confirmed of they complied and their N20 million refunded to each of them by their governors as the aspirants could be seen lobbying and insisting to be voted at the Eagle Square.
Meanwhile, a Constitutional lawyer and former National Secretary of the Labour Party, Dr. Kayode Ajulo in a statement on Saturday warned the APC that it is illegal to elect the National Chairman and other National officers through consensus.
According to him, the Court will declare null and void if any of the aspirants challenge the consensus arrangement in Court.
Part of his statement read, “It is no more news that the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress has been slated for (today) Saturday, the 26th of March, 2022.
“Several notable Nigerians like the former Governor of Zamfara State, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari, Mallam Salihu Mustapha, Muhammed Etsu, Senator Sani Musa, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and others have evinced intentions to vie for the National Chairmanship position of the party.
“In a twist of event, the APC governors and President Muhammadu Buhari, exercising their right of choice have resolved to pick one the candidate as the Party’s Consensus Candidate for the position of the National Chairman of the Party at the upcoming National Convention.
“Similarly, they also resolved to pick consensus candidates for other positions in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party.
“The Chairman of the Interim Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Gov. Mala Buni has also said that the Party will bow to the decision of Mr. President and the APC governors with respect to the mode of selection of the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party.
“As a passionate and interested observer, it is therefore imperative to beam a searchlight on the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 viz-a-viz the consensus option of the All Progressives Congress.
“Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022* provides that:
“ The election of members of the executive committee or other governing body of a political party, including the election to fill a vacant position in any of the aforesaid bodies, shall be conducted democratically and allowing for all members of the party or duly elected
delegates to vote in support of a candidate of their choice”.
“A literal interpretation of the above provision which is devoid of any ambiguity, clearly conotes that the only mode of election of members of the executive committee or governing body of a political party shall either be by direct or indirect election.
“It therefore implies that the Electoral Act, 2022 has expressly abrogated “consensus” mode of election of members of the executive committee or other governing body of a political party.
