– The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been ree-energized by the return of President Muhammadu Buhari
– The party is fine-tuning plans to hold its first ever convention after winning the presidential election in 2015
– Efforts are on the way to ensure that the convention is successful
A report by Thisday newspaper indicates that the National Working Committee of the APC and governors elected on the party’s platform will hold a crucial meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari to decide when its non-elective convention will be held.
According to the report, the convention is to take place immediately after the Sallah festivities in early September.
ZENITHBLOG.com gathered that the ruling party’s National Assembly caucus will also be in attendance at the all important meeting.
APC leaders, governors all set for a national convention. Photo credit: The Guardian
The non-elective convention is considered very significant because it will be first time the ruling party will be holding at the highest level since it took over power from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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A source quoted in the report stated that APC leaders believed that President Buhari’s presence was needed at the national convention, hence the delay.
The quick recovery of the PDP from its crisis and its ability to move on and organise a convention was also said to have put considerable pressure on the ruling party.
Most of the key players in APC are increasingly getting worried that if nothing is done to rally its members though convening of the National Executive Committee meeting and national convention, the PDP may gain an upper hand.
Although the party gave reasons of poor funding and logistic issues as the excuse for the continued delay in convening the convention, a reliable source within the leadership has confessed that the actual reason was the absence of President Buhari.
Efforts to persuade Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to stand-in for Buhari, while the president was away was also resisted.
“It was in that line that the governors decided to pay a visit to the ailing President in London at the weekend on the advice of Osinbajo,” the source said.
When contacted, the national publicity secretary of the APC, Malam Bolaji Abdulahi said: “I do not know if such issue was discussed during the visit of Oyegun and the governors to London.
“But I don’t think there is anything about the convention to be discussed since we are in the process of conducting congresses to elect delegates for the convention.”
The non-elective convention will provide an opportunity for the APC to stamp its feet as Nigeria’s ruling party. Photo credit: Twitter
The party last first announced that it would be holding its national convention in April, but soon changed its mind and attributed the postponement to financial constraints.
READ ALSO: Tony Nwoye wins APC governorship primary election in Anambra
This week, President Buhari met with the leaders of the PDP and his party, the APC on Friday, August 25 at the Presidential Villa.
In the interview below with ZENITHBLOG.com TV, APC chieftain, Comrade Timi Frank warns the party to resolve its internal bickering before 2019:
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