APC postpones national convention to March 26

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fixed its National Convention for March 26.

It will also begin activities leading to the convention, including conduct of zonal congresses from February 24.

The convention was earlier billed for February 26.

In a letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, the party had set its zonal congresses for March 26.

The letter was signed by the party’s National Secretary Sen. John Akpanudoedehe and Caretaker Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni.

“This notice supersedes our earlier notice for National Convention referenced APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/14 this is predicated on the evaluation of our Party Constitution,” the letter partly read.

The party’s National Convention had been a subject of debate for weeks as usual pre-convention activities failed to hold.

Delay in conducting its convention may not be unconnected to internal party wrangling and factions in several states.

The APC leadership has been quiet about the processes leading up to the convention and reasons such processes have failed to happen.

Dates of purchase and submission of forms by aspirants and their screening have also elapsed without any formal communication by the party.

Last week, some governors of the APC were slated to meet President Muhammadu Buhari over some party issues, but the meeting couldn’t hold as the President had to travel to Belgium on an official assignment.

The National Executive Council of the APC had appointed the committee led by Governor of Yobe State, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, to take over the affairs of the party pending when a national convention would be conducted.

This followed the dissolution of the Adams Oshiomhole led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in June 2020 amid an internal crisis and series of litigations.

Months after it assumed the leadership of the party, tenure of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) was extended to better plan a national convention.

But this did not go down well with some party faithful, who called for the removal of members of the CECPC. Some of them went further to test the legality of a serving governor to act as the national chairman of a political party.

Last year, APC Governors proposed that the national convention be conducted in February to elect a new set of NWC members.

The proposal of the governors was later approved by the President, which led to the emergence of the initial February 26 date.

Barely a week to the scheduled date, the caretaker committee informed INEC that it had fixed March 26 to conduct its zonal congresses, but kept mum on the national convention.

Amid reports over the uncertainty of conducting the national convention on Saturday, the party affirmed that it had postponed the exercise by one month.