Convention: Screening begins today as APC members jostle for 60 positions

The screening for prospective aspirants begins today as members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) get set to occupy 60 available positions at the June 23 national convention where the National Executive Committee (NEC) members will be elected.

The convention is coming amidst heightened tension that power brokers in the APC, including the presidency, governors, members of the National Assembly and key stakeholders outside the corridors of power, would push for the emergence of their preferred candidates ahead of various primaries for the 2019 general elections.

Intrigues within the party, especially in the last couple of weeks, were pointers to how the party would look like after the convention scheduled to hold in less than two weeks’ time.

Credible sources said there was a lot of pressure on the Governor Abubakar Badaru-led convention committee even as there were suggestions that the National Secretary of the Convention Committee, Senator Benjamin Uwajimogu, resigned his appointment over pressures he could no longer surmount.

The positions which have been divided into 10 each and zoned to the six geo-political zones, include that of the national chairman, deputy national chairman (North), deputy national chairman (South), national secretary, deputy national secretary and six national vice chairmen, one from each geo-political zone of the country (to be known as zonal chairmen).

Other positions are those of national legal adviser, deputy national legal adviser, national treasurer, deputy national treasurer, national financial secretary, deputy national financial secretary, national organising secretary, deputy national organising secretary, national publicity secretary, deputy national publicity secretary, national welfare secretary, deputy national welfare secretary, national auditor, deputy national auditor, national women leader, deputy national women leader, national youth leader, deputy national youth leader, and national special (Persons With Disability) leader.

The available positions also include six zonal youth leaders, six zonal organising secretaries, six zonal secretaries, six zonal women leaders, and six ex-officio members, one from each geo-political zone.

Already, former governors Adams Oshiomhole, Clement Ebri and Ibrahim Emokpaire have obtained nomination forms to run for the office of national chairman of the party.

Sources said about five people would jostle for the position of national secretary. They include the incumbent, Mai Mala Buni; the Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Dr. Garba Abari; Alhaji Kashim Imam and Barrister Mohammed Bello.

Chief Niyi Adebayo has also purchased forms to run for deputy national chairman (South), while Chief Olusola Oke is said to have picked forms to contest the seat of national legal adviser.