There are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress is in a dilemma over the zoning of the 2023 presidency.

The PUNCH gathered on Sunday that although the party was looking southwards to pick its presidential candidate, there was a strong possibility that it could still throw the race open for both northern and southern aspirants.

A top leader of the APC, who confided in one of our correspondents, said the party was still considering options that could make it retain the presidency in 2023.

The party leader said, “Although from all indications, the next chairman will come from the North, that will not stop interested northerners from vying for the APC presidential ticket. We have competent aspirants in the North and the South. We have not made up our minds, but we will go for the best, who will help us retain the presidency in 2023.”

Also, an APC leader from the North stated all options were still on the table for the party.

The party leader stated, “If the chairman and the President come from the North, the worst the party can do is to give the chairman a political appointment and allow his deputy, who will be a southerner to step in. Also, we can retain the present arrangement by retaining a northern chairman and picking our presidential candidate from the south.”

It was, however, learnt that chieftains of the APC, who were pushing for a president from the South were insisting that the party could not turn around to zone Presidency to the North after the same region had produced the chairman of the party.

It was gathered the party’s National Executive Committee would meet on the issue after the February 26 national convention.

“We are studying what is going on in the PDP, but NEC will meet after the national convention and decide the best option,” a national officer of the party said on condition of anonymity.

Efforts to get the National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator James Akpanudoedehe’s comment on the issue, on Sunday did not succeed as he did not pick calls to his phone nor responded to an SMS sent to him.

But Akpanudoedehe had two weeks ago said the party had yet to take a position on zoning.

Parties free to pick presidential candidates from any zone, says ACF

Commenting on the issue, the pan-northern socio-political organisation, Arewa Consultative Forum said it was not interested in which section of the country, north or south, produced the presidency in 2023.

The National Publicity Secretary of the ACF, Emmanuel Yawe, who stated this in a chat with one of our correspondents in Kaduna, wondered if the socio-cultural organisations dictating that the 2023 presidency must come from a section of the country knew what they were doing.

The spokesman noted that the northern body would allow the rule of law to prevail by allowing the political parties to carry out their responsibility as enshrined in the constitution.

He said, “We have said it again and again that we are not interested or going to show interest in which section in of the country produces the president – north or south – we accept all.

“The constitution assigns the responsibility of choosing candidates – presidential candidates included – to the parties. It is an exclusive responsibility.”

“Those socio-cultural organisations going all over Nigeria dictating where presidential candidates must come from know what they are doing, we hope.”

APC yet to inform INEC as activities for convention begin

Meanwhile, the APC has yet to inform the Independent National Electoral Commission of its planned national convention even as activities leading up to its convention begin this week, The PUNCH has learnt.

The Electoral Act states that any political party planning to hold its national convention must inform INEC at least 21 days prior to its national convention.

The APC fixed its national convention for February 26, meaning the deadline for it to inform INEC lapses on Saturday, February 5, 2021. .

The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, told The PUNCH that the APC had not yet informed the commission.

The APC has yet to officially notify the commission of its planned convention,” said Oyekanmi.

When contacted, the Secretary, APC Caretaker Committee, Akpanudoedehe, said the party still had time to do the needful.

“We are fully aware. We send notices to INEC to conduct primaries and congresses. We are fully aware of this. We have a date that we will transmit the letter. We have a particular date when we will send the letter. We are fully aware of our responsibilities,” he said during a chat with The PUNCH last Thursday.

He, however, did not respond to a call on Sunday.

According to the APC’s schedule of activities, the APC Caretaker Committee will receive the interim report of the National Reconciliation Committee on January 31, 2022 (today). It is expected to be presented by a Former Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Adamu.

The party will on February 2, 2022, consider and adopt reports of state congresses and inaugurate legitimate state executive on February 3, 2022.

Sale of Forms to all aspirants vying for national offices will start on February 14, 2022, while all accompanying documents must be completed on or before February 19, 2022.

The sub-committees that would undertake the convention would be inaugurated on February 19, 2022, while the screening of all aspirants vying for national offices would hold between February 20 and 22 2022. The screening appeals will hear and resolve complaints arising from the screening exercise on February 23, 2022.

The accreditation of all statutory and elected delegates to the national convention will be conducted between February 24 and 25 2022 ahead of the February 26 date of the convention.

The National Executive Committee led by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had in June 2020 sacked the National Working Committee chaired by former Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.

Buhari had subsequently set up a caretaker committee led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State with the mandate of holding its convention in December 2020. However, the committee has continued to receive extensions.

Within the period, the state, local government and ward congresses conducted by the APC deepened the crisis in the party in more than 12 states, leading to several factional state executives in Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Zamfara, Bauchi, Kebbi, Kano, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Kwara.

APC reconciliation committee yet to visit Bauchi

In a related development, the factional Chairman of the APC in Bauchi State, Sanusi Kunde, said that the national reconciliation committee of the party had yet to visit the state.

He said: “Up to this moment, the reconciliation committee hasn’t come to Bauchi yet. And we are still expecting them to come before the convention.

“Meanwhile, the case we filed in court will continue tomorrow (Monday), 8.30am. The Bauchi Central Zone Stakeholders who elected me, filed a case in court and obtained a court order restraining Babayo Misau from parading himself as Chairman and his executives.

“If they don’t come to Bauchi, then that means that Bauchi delegates cannot be allowed to vote with the court order obtained.”

Copyright PUNCH.

https://punchng.com/presidency-apc-in-dilemma-over-zoning-may-throw-race-open/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1643599458

The Yoruba people think politics is by jingles media noise and propaganda.. the noise on social media and in Lagos is not politics.

Politics is what Apc government is doing to the Yoruba people and ACN humans in Apc .. forcing their loyalty, calling all shots , running the government .. and making all party and government decisions.. without input from the Yoruba acn.. while they Yoruba keep doing the propaganda and defending process

Okay convention is here .. they’re coming with another one manipulations .. throwing ticket open for any candidate for any zone.. .. and Na so .. with arrangement on how to rearrange the party post even tho zoned .

Yoruba go dey , the shout igbos up and dan and doing all slavish work for party and north.. shingba.... una no go see .. Walai ..

Make Una continue the stress on igbos and keep spreading hate .. thinking una dey do igbos..
Walai by the time una go wake eh.. una go understand karma..
Even Tinubu knows his problems .. reason why he faces north.

2023 some humans go learn Nd relearn Nigeria politics

From disposition, it seems the APC is in search of an independent crowd pulling person it could pick in the south that cuts across regions.

Nice one

God bless Buni

The igbos are giving a good fight for this ticket and I love that

Tinubu will be the biggest loser at the end

Amaechi or Orji Kalu may pull surprises because they are loved by the north

This is national politics not south west politics

It's game on I must say for now

already scattered

The worst mistake APC will make at the center is to allow this FIRST CLASS VEGETABLE to cage the party. Throw it open and lets see how it goes.

Whichever way, the SW definitely leading the pack.

RichDad1:
Whichever way, the SW definitely leading the pack.

I doubt

As it stands now, the ticket never Sure for anybody

APC is confused and from what I'm seeing, Tinubu has lost this one .

Amaechi or Orji Kalu may pull surprises they are both loved by the north

If a northerner does not fly the APC ticket, then PDP will be reclaiming Asorock come 2023.

It's that Simple.

Confused party

PrinceOfLagos:
Nice one

God bless Buni

The igbos are giving a good fight for this ticket and I love that

Werey Dey disguise. You better face your failed PDP party and your erosion laden village.

Tinubu must wail!!!

PrinceOfLagos:

I doubt

As it stands now, the ticket never Sure for anybody

Yinmu. The battle is between the SW and SE and you can guess the outcome.

Which kain yeye dilemma?

The reason I don’t believe in zoning.
Instead of voting THE BEST candidate, Nigeria is still stuck on “quota system” politics.

Hahaha! I said it here few weeks ago that the ticket will be thrown open to all contestants and it can swing anywhere. Now it’s happening. Lol

RichDad1:

Yinmu. The battle is between the SW and SE and you can guess the outcome.

Tinubu is out of the game as it stands , Amaechi or OUK may pull surprises

This is national politics and not south west politics

A house divided against itself they say cannot what?
Not like I am interested in what goes on in that congregation of demented self-styled evil incarnates... I'm only worried at how their actions and inactions, decisions and indecisions affect the livelihood of the good people of this country. We pray for more disaster on any group of persons trying to impose any form of incompetence on this country again. APC or PDP alike!
For the Lagos man, well he should go and deal with this http://www.greentechnaija.com/2022/01/top-7-fears-of-uber-bolt-driver.html?m=1 first, Then maybe the street will start paying attention.

They would be confused nah, since they don't want to relinquish power,

APC is in no dilemma. The party’s presidential ticket is going to the south. Punch is now a fake news platform so this shouldn’t surprise anyone. They have their audience to entertain and they are already here dancing to the fake beat.

The real party in dilemma over 2023 is PDP. Emperor Wike and Atiku the serial presidential loser are about to tear the party apart over the presidential ticket.

Fake news

Hmm... This is a delibrate plot by some goons in the APC and the media to exploit the divide in the south and cause distraction, lies, misinformation and disinformation.

APC is scared of using Tinubu or Osinbajo to battle a Tambuwal or Atiku or Bala PDP Candidacy. Swift victory then for PDP in South South, South East, North East and North West while North Central remains a neutral ground. South West Candidacy will only win South West. South East candidacy will only make the party win South South and South East but lose the other zones.

Omo na Northerner sure o. South is too divided for a party to risk giving her ticket to them.

Na my region own worse. Anybody wey come from South South go just lose yakata because Igbo nor go bother vote as dem don dey vex already. Yoruba too go vote their own person wey must come out for the position. All zones for South go fight each other.

seunmsg:
APC is in no dilemma. The party’s presidential ticket is going to the south.

Either South East, for people like Umahi,OUK, Rochas, or North continues.A Muslim cannot take over the turn of the South instead North continues.

PrinceOfLagos:


Tinubu is out of the game as it stands , Amaechi or OUK may pull surprises

This is national politics and not south west politics

Ok

Ok

Let them just get a good referee (with lots of VARs) because the race go funny

Rotation of power suppose to be between North and south. The senate need to amend constitution to allow rotation.