APC Convention: Yari picks nomination form for Chairman against party zoning arrangement

… As Akume, Adamu, Almakura, Mustapha, Bello also picked forms

OBIORA IFOH, Abuja

Ahead of the national convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) slated for March 26, former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, has jettisoned the zoning arrangement put in place by the party.

The leadership of the APC had zoned national chairmanship position to the North-central but former governor Yari who hails from Zamfara State North-west has paid N20 millions nomination form to contest the position.

Speaking on behalf of the pro-Yari’s group after obtaining the form, Senator Tijani Yahaya Kaura told newsmen that the former governor is a party man, and that the national chairmanship position is zoned to the Northern region.

When reminded that the position is zoned to the North-central, Senator Kaura said his group was not aware of that, adding that the issue of zoning was yet to totally resolved.

Also, the former governor of Benue State and Minister of special duties and governmental affairs, George Akume also obtained his form for the governorship.

Senator Barnabas Gemade speaking after obtaining nomination form for Akume said that he hopes that the Convention goes smoothly and that the party becomes stronger at the end of it and the best candidate wins.

On the chances of his principal, Senator Gemade said, “we know that God knows the winner and we believe that His mercies are good for us and at the end of the day, we will be satisfied with whatever our God does for us..”

He said that consensus is the priority of the party leadership and “Whatever the party chooses, the party has the final say. If at the end of the day, the party is able to consummate a consensus exercise for this contest, we agree with it. However they decide there should be a balloting for this contest we will go with the balloting and whatever the outcome is we will accept.”

Similarly, former governor of Nasarawa state, Abdullahi Adamu said that he is the man to beat in the race for the chairmanship of the party.

Hon. Lawrence Onuchukwu, the Director General of the Senator Adamu Campaign who picked the form on his behalf said, “If you have been following the antecedents of Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, you will know and agree with me that this is the man that has capacity and the capability to pilot the affairs of this great party.  You will also agree with me if you are a member of this party that he was the chairman of nine members committee saddled with the responsibility of reconciling the party that made us have some Governors who joined the party. That alone is a major reason for us while he should come and pilot the affairs of this great party.”

On if Adamu was the candidate of President Buhari as alleged, the Director General said, “If that rumour is anything to go by, it is a boost for us. Mr President as a man of integrity I’m sure will not want to associate himself with someone who does not have capacity to actualize the vision of this party. And you are also aware that we must not pretend that the party has some challenges and you need an administrator, a politician, you need a person who can handle the party.

“The CECPC chairman, Gov. Buni of Yobe state is a good man. Through him we have seen many governors decamping into our party, it shows that he is a great man. But in life you will have to start from somewhere and end somewhere so that someone else will continue from there. And I can assure you that Abdullahi Adamu who has seen it all as a former minister, two term governor and three term senator. What is left is for this man to come and give service to this great party and take this party to the next level.

“The party in her wisdom has zoned the national chairmanship to the North Central zone and you will agree with me that more than two people have obtained forms and this is the beauty of democracy. The electoral act signed by Mr President said it very clear that election can be conducted either by direct, indirect or concensus. For us in our party we don’t have crisis. Any where in this planet ruling parties are always this way and that is why you are not seeing anybody decamping from APC to any other party. I usually say that we have not lost any state to PDP, we lost to IPC. IPC means ‘internal party crisis’. With Sen Abdullahi Adamu in the saddle, I am sure APC will not lose to any political party. I can assure you.”

On Tuesday, for Nasarawa state Governors, Tanko Almakura, Alhaji Suleiman Mustapha and Senator Musa Bello had also picked their nomination forms.