Over 7, 500 delegates arrive Abuja, as APC National Convention kicks off

Much-awaited National Convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) kicked off at the Eagle Square, in Abuja, Saturday, after wrangling, litigation and factionalisations, culminating in internal plots to effect leadership changes at the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

Already, the APC has confirmed that 7,584 delegates will be involved in electing new members into the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), which effectively replaces the CECPC, during Saturday’s convention.

Preceding the opening, President Muhammadu Buhari warned leaders and members to desist from name-calling and backstabbing ahead of the oncoming March 26 national Convention of the party.

The president gave the warning in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, on Saturday in Abuja.

Buhari, however, advised them to remain steadfast and be united ‘if the party is to continue in the path of victory and its dominance at all levels throughout the country.’

He asked members to look at the once-powerful main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), now enfeebled and adrift, and learn lessons in disunity, mismanagement and corruption.

”They failed in 16 years in power and failed as opposition.

”Yes, we are entitled to our own share of dissent and intra-party discord. These are common in all parties, left and right all over the world. But parties splintered by competing egos destine themselves to the worst possible fate.

The president frowned at recent developments in the party, leading to what he described as negative publicity from both social and traditional media outfits in the country.

”It is equally clear that over the last week or so, the internal management affairs of the APC have been afforded generous media coverage – over and above its importance to the voters of Nigeria.

”It is important to ask what benefits the poor are getting during the period of intense negative coverage.

”When precisely the party’s convention is held and who is the party’s chairman is hardly a matter for the average voter: vastly more important is who convention delegates will elect as the party’s flagbearer in the coming weeks to take forward the party’s platform to the people in the general election in February next year.

”It is therefore important for the media to put such matters into perspective. No one is debating policy differences here. That is for the general election.

”None of the declared aspirants and any of those that may step forward will change because of who may be in the party in the chairman’s seat. It is essentially the same party.

”Of course the media are welcome to comment on the content of the character of the potential APC candidates; discuss their suitability for leadership; scrutinise their offer to the membership.

”But to focus on the routine internal divisions and magnify them into what they have become today is a waste of everyone’s time, amounting to no more than a discussion over seating arrangements.

”This is not what Nigerians talk of in their communities. They have an inclination only for things that matter,” he maintained.

Meanwhile, sequel to the ongoing legal tussle between the judiciary and the legislature over portions of the recently-passed Electoral Act amendment 2022, the CECPC has barred delegates who are political appointees from voting at the Saturday, March 26 National Convention of the party set to hold in Abuja.

By implication, the directive means appointed heads of ministries, departments and agencies of government (MDAs) cannot vote at the convention.

The National Assembly, had, Wednesday, earlier barred the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN, from deleting Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as ordered by a Federal High Court, in Umuahia, Abia State.

The portion of the Electoral Act bars political appointee from voting or be voted for at party congresses.

A statement issued by the Convention sub-committee of the party, Thursday, via its verified Twitter handle (@APCNatConv22), said political appointees who were elected as delegates for the party’s National Convention on Saturday would not be allowed to vote.

The party, however, said the affected delegates would be allowed to attend the convention as observers.

The APC statement, titled; “ATTENTION TO POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS WHO WERE ELECTED AS DELEGATES” said the decision is aimed at avoiding further escalating the matter surrounding the Electoral act.

“The National Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of APC has declared that all political appointees who were elected as delegates to the National Convention slated for 26/3/2022 SHALL NOT VOTE in view of the controversy surrounding Section 84 (12) of the Electoral Act,2022.

“However, political appointees can still attend as observers.”

It would be recalled that a Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, had last Friday, struck down Section 84(12) of the newly amended Electoral Act which President Muhammadu Buhari had written to the National Assembly to delete. 

The Court also ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN), to delete the said Subsection 12 of Section 84 from the body of the Electoral Act.

In a judgment delivered by Justice Evelyn Anyadike, the Court held that the subsection section was unconstitutional, invalid, illegal, null, void and of no effect whatsoever and ought to be struck down as it cannot stand when it is in violation of the clear provisions of the Constitution.

Justice Anyadike, in the Suit marked FHC/UM/CS/26/2022, held that Sections 66(1)(f), 107(1)(f), 137(1)(f) and 182(1)(f) of the 1999 Constitution already stipulated that appointees of government seeking to contest elections were only to resign at least 30 days to the date of the election and that any other law that mandated such appointees to resign or leave office at any time before that was unconstitutional, invalid, illegal null and void to the extent of its inconsistency to the clear provisions of the Constitution.

However while describing the Court decision as condemnable and affront to the constitution, the National Assembly said it will further write a formal complaint to the National Judicial Council (NJC).

The judgment according to the lawmakers was reached without due consideration of the constitutional interpretation of section 318 of the 1999 Nigerian constitution as amended.

Members who spoke on the issue described it as infringement of the National Assembly’s rights as an institution as well as breach of the concept of separation of power contained in the constitution.

They also said the National Assembly was not joined in the case being the makers and custodian of the law, neither the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), implementers of the law, describing it as unfortunate.

The section 84(12) of the newly passed Electoral Act 2022 in particular bars them from voting or be voted for at the convention.

State Governors, heads of the ministries, departments and agencies of government (MDAs), in addition to commissioners are barred from voting as state delegates to the APC National Convention, as contained in the law.

Meanwhile, former Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu, appears to be on the verge of emerging as consensus Chairman of the APC as two more party chieftains have stepped down their ambitions to back the senator.

A National Chairmanship aspirant of the (APC), Sen Umaru Tanko Al-Makura withdrew from the race, his media aide, Danjuma Joseph, confirmed, early Saturday.

Senator Al-Makura, a former governor of Nasarawa State who currently represents Nasarawa South at the Senate announced this barely few hours to the convention scheduled for Saturday March 26, 2022 in Abuja. He pledged to back Sen Abdullahi Adamu.

Also, another National Chairmanship aspirant, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa withdrew from the race, his spokesman, Nasir Mohammed, confirmed.

Sani Musa, representing Niger East Senatorial District at the Senate announced this decision after Friday’s aspirants’ meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the leader of the party, 24 hours before today’s convention in Abuja.

He pledged to back Senator Abdullahi Adamu as consensus candidate for the seat in the ongoing convention.

Others who earlier withdrew their aspirations include; Senator George Akume, Abudlaziz Yari, Etsu Muhammed, Turaki Salifu Mustapha.

In all six contestants have shelved their national Chairmanship aspirations and opted to back Sen Adamu.