Uneasy calm in APC governors’ camp over National Convention

All Progressives Congress (APC) governors are yet to agree on a date for the party’s national convention.

Following widening cracks within their party, the governors have been consulting on the options for the party’s National Convention.

The governors are likely to meet on Wednesday to firm up the ongoing consultations.

The Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Comrade Salihu Lukman, said he was waiting for a directive from the Chairman, Kebbi State Governor Atiku Bagudu, to convene the session before he can give a definite answer on when the meeting will hold.

According to the investigation, there were six options on the card as of yesterday.

The six options reflected the tendencies and ongoing divisions in the party, a source said.

It was gathered that some APC governors are no longer comfortable with the “goalpost-shifting” politics of the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) headed by Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni.

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It was learnt that the growing dissent in the PGF  over the National Convention accounted for the summoning of a meeting.

President Muhammadu Buhari had received representations from some governors and he has waded in to prevent a deeper crisis in APC.

Ahead of the governors’ meeting, the six  options allegedly being considered are as follows:

*Holding convention in February as initially agreed upon and despite ongoing reconciliation.

*Fixing a new date in March or April to conduct congresses in Anambra, Zamfara.

*Allowing all congresses, reconciliation to be completed and court case resolved before convention

*Conducting  primaries for 2023 poll before the convention

*Holding  presidential primaries national convention on the same date

*Adopting consensus approach for convention and presidential primaries.

A governor, who spoke in confidence, said: “APC is at crossroads on its National Convention. Some governors and party leaders are not on the same page with the Caretaker Committee.

“To prevent a revolt against CECPC, the governors will meet to devise a middle approach to the challenges at hand for a win-win solution.

“There are some of us demanding immediate convening of the National Convention to put the party in good stead for 2023 general election.

“The fact is that time is no longer on the side of the APC because the general election is about 14 months away. Yet, we do not have a steady focus.

“Apart from the new court case seeking to restrain the party from holding its National Convention, we may get to a stage that the status of the CECPC will become a legal issue.

“A few of us have met with the President on the danger ahead. We are aware he has advised the CECPC to draw up a timeline for the convention. Buhari has also warned APC leaders to avoid a crisis, which may make them lose to the Peoples Democratic Party in 2023.

“But some governors are pulling the strings and attempting to hijack the CECPC. A governor from the South-East is more culpable of this. A few others who didn’t know how APC was formed now want to call the shots.

A stalwart of the APC confirmed some of the options, saying: ”You know a former governor, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu even came up with a clumsy option of holding presidential primaries and the national convention on the same date.

“The truth is that some governors and leaders are backing the retention of the Caretaker Committee to enable them to dictate the pace in the party for the 2023 poll. Many are not ready to accept this.”

It was not immediately clear yesterday which option the governors will adopt.

When contacted, PGF Director-General Comrade Salihu Lukman said:” I am aware the governors are still consulting.

“I have not received a directive from the PGF chairman, Governor Atiku Bagudu, to send out a notice of meeting to our governor. There is no exact date yet.

“All those dates being peddled in the media are speculations. I don’t know where such came from.”

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