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APC’s Presidential Primary holds Q3 2022 as party confirms Feb. 5 for National Convention

 .Youths demand generational zoning, direct primaries

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. . Ask aggrieved members to take case to Adamu-led Reconciliation C’mttee

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OBIORA IFOH, Abuja

 

As the 2023 election draws nearer, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may Retain Caretaker Committee To Conduct Presidential Primaries In Q3, 2022 As Party Confirms February 5 National Convention. Elements within the Caretaker Committee lobbied to retain positions ahead of Primaries.

Daily Champion gathered that the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will now hold on February 5, 2022. A new Exco will be elected at the national convention.

Information available indicates that President Muhammadu Buhari had wanted the convention to hold on December 28, 2022, but was persuaded by APC governors to yield to February 5, 2022.

The ruling party’s confirmation of February 5 followed the November 22 exclusive report by Prime Business Africa that top leaders of the party had agreed to hold the convention on any of the weekends between the first and third weeks of February 2022.

It would be recalled that the ruling APC had perfected plans to hold its national convention in February, flip its national party office positions and zone its presidential candidacy to Southern Nigeria. Incumbent President Buhari is from Katsina State, Northwest Nigeria.

A source familiar with the processs said that “the President wants the convention done with” as quickly as possible. According to the source “a date of Feb 5, 2022 is the date marked for the APC Convention.”

Also, elements within the party caretaker committee had lobbied the (APC) governors to retain the committee to conduct the presidential primaries in the third quarter of 2022.

Meanwhile, All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Wing has demanded that the leadership of the party must provide for generational zoning where certain party offices are zoned to the youths.  They also said that direct primary mode of election will encourage the young people to participate in the electoral process.

The APC youth also called on any aggrieved member of the party to always take advantage of the Adamu-led Reconciliation Committee to seek redress to his/her grievances rather than going to the media.

Speaking after the meeting of the APC Youth Leaders and Stakeholders in Abuja on Sunday, the Convener and the APC CECPC National Youth Representative, Barr. Ismaeel Ahmed, said, “APC has never been big on zoning like that, to be honest, it has always been big on balancing not necessarily zoning and you would remember that in 2014 primaries that President Muhammadu Buhari emerged, five people contested for the President, only two were from the same zone. All the others were from different zones. Late Sam Nda Isaiah was from the North-central, Atiku Abubakar was from the North-East, Rochas Okorocha was from the South-East. Only Buhari and Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso were from the North-west. So the party did not sit down and zone particular positions. Even in 2014 convention that happened in August, that Chief John Odigie-Oyegyun became the National Chairman, if you remember there was no committee on zoning that said okay, let’s do positions, but there was balancing internally. It was like an informal arrangement everybody knew about it.

“We discussed the issue of zoning, the only thing we want, zoned is not to the political zones, but it is to the generational zone, which is young people. We want certain positions zoned to us as young people. And that position once it is zoned, we are also craving the indulgence of the leadership of the party to allow us as young people and stakeholders to be able to decide the leadership, at least that wing of the party and so ditto for women.

“For other positions that we want to run if the NEC by its wisdom decides to zone them to any place, we have capable young people in every zone that can match and run for those positions. So we are expecting that the NEC would sit down at some point before the convention and decide where they want to balance positions. Whatever they decide we want to be part of that decision, one. Two, once that decision is taking wherever it is taking to we have capable young people in every zone, to represent us.

“Ordinarily, as members of the party, we love direct primaries because it’s an opportunity for open inclusion. Everybody gets involved in deciding. Of course, there are certain things that we are afraid of, may be the magnitude of the exercise, whether or not any political party in this country should be restricted to a single way of bringing out candidates and whether or not we have the manpower to man 8812 wards when we are doing primaries. But, other than that, it is an open season; it is an opportunity for young people to participate in the process.

“So, direct primaries is something that we will encourage. The party needs to do a lot of homework before it gets to that point. It’s not a decision we have taken. I’m just saying my own opinion. We have, not as a young people decided on whether or not we support it. I think the National Assembly has done its job, it is up to the President. Once the President signed it, it doesn’t matter what your opinion is.

Part of the resolution of the meeting as read by the Deputy National Youth Leader, Hon Bolaji Hafiz Repete stated amongst others, “As leadership of the party, we welcome and applaud the decision of the President, the Progressives Governors’ Forum and all other critical stakeholders of the party to have our National Convention in February 2022, this we believe is in the best interest of the party.

“The youth leadership therefore recognized the opportunity given to youth in leadership positions at the Wards, Local Governments and States Congresses and also appeal for inclusion of more Youth in the  National Executive Committee (NEC) in the February 2021 Elective Convention.

“The youth leadership is using this opportunity to encourage youth in the party to present themselves for elective positions in the forthcoming National Convention.

“The APC youth leadership also encourage all members of the party with any form of discontent to take advantage of the National  Reconciliation Committee headed by H.E. Senator Abdulahi Adamu to air their grievances and seek adequate recompense rather than slugging it out on the pages of newspapers, Social Media, Television or Radio stations.”

The youth wing also called on all Party stalwarts at every level to please put the interest of party first because promoting personal interest will only lead to the destruction of the party.

 

 

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