APC National Chair: Party Leaders Make U-Turn, Tip South East

APC LEADERS:ONU(IN red cap),AKANDE, TINUBU AT THE PARTY'S RALLY

The All Progressive congress, APC may have reconsidered its stance on zoning of offices as indications emerged that the party leadership might be disposed to zone the party’s national chairmanship seat to the South East and the South- South.

This blog had reported that some leaders in the party was thinking of a Buhari- Tinubu ticket and concede the party’s national chairmanship to the south- south preferably Dr. Sam Sam Jaja, a PDP decampee and a loyalist to Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaeachi.

This permutation generated serious uproar in the party as it was opposed by APC chieftain in the South- south and
former minister of Aviation, femi fani kayoed. A group, APC Youths frontier, South East vowed to dump the party and switch allegiance to the PDP if the party fails concede the party’s chair to the South East.

However, available information reaching this blog indicates that the party leadership has reconsidered its position as the party chairmanship seat has been zoned to the South- South and the South East geo political zones.

This has thrown up a fierce contest for the seat as three persons are being considered for the post of national chairman.

They are former governor of Abia State and national chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; former chairman of the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC), Chief Tom Ikimi and former governor of Edo State, Chief John Odigie Oyegun.

It was revealed that the APC has tipped the three politicians for the exalted post of national chairman, as it considers to zone the post to either the South East or the South South, while the North will produce the presidential candidate.

Sources close to the party revealed that Ikimi is being considered for his experience in managing political parties, having piloted the affairs of NRC during the transition programme of General Ibrahim Babangida’s government.

On his part, Onu is being considered for his experience as a governor and political party administrator, especially going by his efforts at reorganising and rebuilding the ANPP before the merger deal that gave birth to the APC.

It was gathered that bigwigs of APC favour Oyegun for the post, as he is seen as a good administrator and consistent politician. Those who favour Oyegun, it was learnt, said that his experience as civil servant and governor as well as his faithfulness to whichever political party he joins are good credentials.

Oyegun was a leader of the ANPP before joining the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), where he remained till the merger of the party with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) to form the APC.

Chief Bisi Akande, from the South West, is the interim national chairman of the APC. He will hold brief till May or June, when the party would select a substantive national chairman. At the national convention of the APC, it was gathered, the zoning formula of the party would be formally unveiled.