APC postpones convention as zonal congresses hold March 26

It is now crystal clear that the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) slated for this Saturday, February 26 will no longer hold.

The APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) has notified the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the party will hold its Zonal Congresses on March 26.

That will be exactly one month after the February 26 National Convention date. The officials that will emerge at the Zonal Congresses are going to be statutory delegates to the Convention.

BusinessDay reported at the weekend that the Convention of the ruling party hanged in the balance one week to the D-Day as the party faithful could not tell whether the much-anticipated exercise is holding as scheduled or not

That followed the disagreements over the issues surrounding consensus and zoning arrangements for the offices, especially that of the National Chairman which tore even Governors of the party and other leaders apart, sending signals that the event would be shifted.

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The speculations within the party and in the public that the Convention was not going to hold has been made true by
CECPC’s letter dated 21 February and signed by the Chairman, Mai-Mala Buni and Secretary John Akpanudoedehe and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.

A copy of the letter obtained by Correspondent in Abuja on Monday said the Zonal Congresses notice supercedes the earlier notice for the Convention.

The letter read in parts: “This notice supersedes our earlier notice for National Convention APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/14 this is predicated on the evaluation of our party constitution

“In furtherance to Article 85 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and compliant with Section 12:6 of our Party Constitution, we hereby write to notify the Commission that our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled to hold its Zonal Congresses on Saturday 26th March, 2022.

“Kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly.”