Ruling APC Governors Accept Buhari’s Choice Of Adamu As Consensus National Chairman Of Party
To ensure a hitch-free convention on Saturday, President Muhammadu Buhari and governors elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket agreed on a unity list based on consensus.
At a meeting held at the Presidential Villa with 16 governors in attendance, Buhari expressed his preference for a former Nasarawa State Governor Senator Abdullahi Adamu as national chairman.
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.
According to Daily Trust, a governor from the North West said there was no objection when the endorsement of Adamu was raised. He said the issue of the national secretary was also resolved.
Another 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 were 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.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, said a truce had been reached to fill the NWC positions through consensus.
He said the PGF was in support of the chairmanship candidate 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 the APC as a democratic party will not bar anybody from exercising their rights.
It was learnt that a former President of the Senate, Ken Nnamani, was also picked by consensus as Deputy National Chairman (South) while Abubakar Kyari is the consensus candidate for Deputy National Chairman (North).
SaharaReporters last Saturday reported that Adamu was the candidate that would emerge as the national chairman of the party.
“Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani is being penned down for the Deputy Chairman, South-East,” a source had also told SaharaReporters among other things.
