APC Chairmanship: Governors Bow To Buhari, Agree On Adamu

Governors who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Wednesday aligned with President Muhammadu Buhari on the candidature of a former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the chairman of the ruling party, Daily Trust gathered last night.

At the end of the governor’s meeting with the president yesterday at the State House, Abuja, the issue was finally resolved.

The meeting convened ahead of the Saturday’s convention of the APC was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and 16 governors from Kebbi, Plateau, Kogi, Yobe, Ogun, Kaduna, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Imo, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara, Zamfara, Nasarawa, Osun, and Borno States. The ruling party has 22 governors.

Seven persons including a former Governor of Nasarawa State, Tanko Al-Makura; Senator Sani Musa (Niger) a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume (Benue); Senator Abdullahi Adamu; Turaki Ilorin, Saliu Mustapha and Saidu Etsu have bought forms for the national chairmanship position.

A governor from the North West told Daily Trust that there was no objection when the endorsement of Adamu was raised. He said the issue of the national secretary was also resolved.

A top source, while corroborating the governor’s statement, said during the villa meeting, the governors aligned themselves with President Buhari’s position on Adamu.

“They aligned with the president’s position on Adamu as the national chairman while all other positions are as per the zoning earlier approved by the president,” the source said.

It was gathered that the governors are putting finishing touches on the unity list of other members of the National Working Committee (NWC) in line with the earlier zoning arrangement approved by the president during his previous meeting with them.

We have no objection – Govs

Briefing journalists after the meeting yesterday, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, said a truce has been reached to fill the NWC positions through consensus.

He said the PGF was in support of the chairmanship candidate being backed by President Buhari although he refused to name the candidate.

He said: “Today, we all briefed Mr President on the issue of distributing political party offices to the respective zones and our support for Mr President’s endorsement of the candidate for the national chairman of the party and the various geo-political zones took turns to brief Mr President, on what they have been doing to generate consensus in their respective zones amongst the National Working Committee (NWC) and zonal party positions that have been either allocated to the zones or which the zones are entitled to.

“Most of the zones have been allocated NWC positions that are fewer than the number of states, but, however, there are zonal executive committees from which the zones are working to produce a consensus list.

“So, this afternoon, the respective zones; Governor Abubakar Bello briefed on behalf of the North Central; Governor Babagana Zulum on behalf of the North East; Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State on behalf of North West; Governor Dave Umahi on behalf of South East; and Governor Kayode Fayemi briefed the President on behalf of the South West. I further mentioned the position of the South South to Mr President, as I had on paper.”

Bagudu, however, said that aspirants who opposed the consensus option were free to run at the coming convention. He said APC as a democratic party will not bar anybody from exercising their rights.