Buhari, Governors Disagree On APC Chairmanship

Buhari, Governors Disagree On APC Chairmanship

By Kabir Akintayo

With barely a week to the February 26 date of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Convention, there are strong indications that the major party blocks are yet to agree on zoning and positions.

There are also indications that the Presidency is also at loggerheads with the governors on how to share the positions, especially that of the charman.

While the governors are said to favour Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, the President Mohammadu Buhari is believed to be more disposed to Senator Umaru Tanko Almakura, former governor of Nasarawa State.

The struggle to constitute the new APC NWC has opened familiar cracks along the various tendencies that came together to form the party, namely the ACN, CPC, ANPP and factions of PDP and APGA now on the fringes.

A source close to the Secretariat of the APC explained that, it was for this reason that the President subtly redirected the APC Governors to the Caretaker Committee on the eve of his departure to Belgium for the EU/ AU summit.

The APC chairmanship position had been zoned to North Central but was microzoned to Niger, Benue, and Plateau states since the previous NWC positions were occupied by Kogi, Kwara and Nasarawa State.

The zoning arrangement, it was gathered, automatically eliminated aspirants for Chairman from those states including Senator Almakura, and Saliu Mustapha both of whom have made strong claims for the seat of Chairman.

Our source said that it is for this reason some of the North Central governors are presenting the former governor of Benue State and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume as their preferred candidate in the zone.

Based on this unwritten understanding our party source said the governors are finding it difficult to concede to the wishes of the President that Senator Al-Makura becomes the National Chairman of the party.

“The inability of the governors agreeing with the President had made the President not to have an audience with them,” the source said.

“Every governor wants to become a President or a Vice President and this is what has brought disagreement into the fold.”

“They think the only way they can achieve this is to decide and determine who becomes the National Chairman of the party.” The source added.

“APC national Chairmanship is not for the North Central alone, therefore should not be left with governors in the zone.

“The argument that the National Chairmanship should come from a state without a sitting APC governor is a defeatist argument, as every state aspires to have an APC governor.

“The party should come to a point where decisions, especially those who occupy the NWC should not be made by the governor alone.”