March 27, 2022

With the All Progressives Congress (APC) affirming by consensus the emergence of Senator Abdullahi Adamu as its National Chairman at its March 26 National Convention, President Muhammadu Buhari has effectively taken control of the party he leads.

Political Economist had on March 9 reported that Buhari had endorsed Adamu as his preferred candidate after advising the party to zone the position to North Central.

Aso Rock sources had told our reporter that Buhari preferred a North Central Chairman to create a national balance in view of how the party will zone key positions in the primary with Buhari said to be on the side of those pushing for a Southern presidential candidate.

The latest arrangement has put Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the cold as he and his supporters in the party did not reckon with Adamu chairmanship.

“With the latest development except something unforeseen happens, Tinubu is out of the equation for Presidency. An Adamu Chairmanship will do the bidding of the Buhari group which is pushing for a younger southerner for the Presidency,” a top APC member told our reporter.

President Buhari is said to favour a younger southern candidate for the Presidency. Three persons are said to be on Buhari’s priority list. While two of them are key cabinet members from the south west and south-south respectively, the third person is a technocrat currently heading a strategic government agency.

But this position was countered by a pro-Tinubu APC chieftain who argued that both Buhari and Tinubu were on the same page on matters of leadership of the APC.

“If anything, Tinubu is in the know of the emergence of Adamu despite repeated denials of his staunch support from President Buhari, and it will work in his favour. There is no person in the APC that will oppose Tinubu candidacy because he is the instrument that birthed the APC and wrestled power from the PDP. It’s pay back time for Tinubu and the President knows this,” he said.

Tinubu is the oldest among the Presidential candidates but he is by far the most experienced and popular.

Six national chairmanship aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship race had stepped down for Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, adjudged the preferred candidate of the party’s leadership for the position.

Adamu had been endorsed by President Muhammad Buhari after series of meetings with governors of the party in the build up to national convention.

This was stated in a letter addressed to the Chairman, APC Election Sub-Committee and signed by one of the aspirants, Sen. George Akume.

The letter reads: “May I kindly refer to the appeal by President Muhammad Buhari for the chairmanship aspirants of our great party to agree to a consensus arrangement wherein our colleague Sen. Abdullahi Adamu is made our consensus candidate for the chairmanship position.”

He forwarded letters of withdrawal from Sen. Tanko Al-Makura, Sen. George Akume, Abdulaziz Yari, Sen. Sani Musa Muhammed, Etsu Muhammed and Malam Saliu Mustapha.

The APC had earlier in a tweet, said no fewer than 7, 584 delegates would vote at the convention.

Gov. Abdulahi Sule of Nasarawa State had earlier hinted that President Buhari had appealed that the party should come up with a consensus candidate to ensure a peaceful and rancour-free convention.

Sule, chairman APC Sub-Committee on Media and Publicity for the National Convention, said the decision followed President Buhari’s appealed for a consensus candidate.

He said the party’s leadership might refund money paid by aspirants for the purchase of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms after the emergence of consensus candidate.

“This was an appeal made by Buhari to show leadership; he said once we agreed on the consensus, it is only fair that what they paid to purchase the forms be returned to them.

“That is his request, and I am telling you, his request will be honoured, because we know he is doing it sincerely for the benefit of the party.

“It was a request actually made by the president to the leadership of the party and the leadership were there, so, I will say that the leadership of the party also agreed,” Sule had said.

Each APC chairmanship aspirants paid N20 million to purchase the party’s Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to contest the position.