APC MAY ZONE CHAIRMANSHIP TO SOUTH-SOUTH, SOUTH-EAST

The All Progressives Congress (APC) may decide today to concede the position of national chairman to either the South-South or South-East, Daily Trust learnt in Abuja yesterday.

Zones interested in producing the presidential candidate as well as the running mate are said to have agreed for the chairmanship to come from elsewhere, senior party leaders said.
The position of national secretary may go to the North, while initially the South West was to have retained the chairmanship position.
But recent calculations have made the South-West to re-examine its position and tactfully forego the chairmanship.
Chief Bisi Akande, who is

the interim national chairman, and considered set to continue as substantive
chairman, is said to have been prevailed upon to forego his aspiration.
Based on the recent calcualtions, if the new zoning arrangemnet favours the South-East, then former national chairman of the defunct
All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) Chief Ogbonnaya Onu may emerge as the chairman.
But if the post is ceded to the South-South, then former Edo State governor John Oyegun is being positioned for the chairmanship.
For the national secretary, sources said the incumbent, Alhaji Tijjani Musa Tumsah, is facing a challenge from Alhaji Kashim Imam.
When Daily Trust contacted interim national publicity secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed for comments on this story, he declined to give any details on the planned national convention. He said it is unethical to disclose the agenda of the NEC meeting of the party.
Interim national secretary Tijjani Musah Tumsah, in a chat with our correspondent, said there is no crisis regarding the forthcoming convention.
“The issue of people that are interested in contesting for leadership positions is not the main issue here, although people are always speaking on the issue, but for now, the party has to focus on the issues at hand,” he said.
He said the national executive committee will announce the date of the congresses after the meeting as well as all other modalities and guidelines concerning party members that will vie for the various offices of the national leadership of the party.