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Presidency: All eyes on Buhari as APC weighs options

…Aspirants intensify scramble for 2,340 delegates, APC again adjusts timetable 

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All eyes are on President Muhammadu Buhari as the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, tries to scale the hurdles the selection of a presidential candidate is raising for the party.

Currently, there is confusion over the panel that will screen presidential aspirants and when the exercise will be done.

President Buhari’s non-asset to the amendment of Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Act transmitted to him by the National Assembly on May 13, has effectively ensured that elected officials of the party at all levels will not be part of the presidential primaries and this has also caused a stir in the party.

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With only 2,340 delegates expected at the presidential primaries, the 23 aspirants remaining in the race have been forced to retool their strategies to get the upper hand at the May 29-30 contest in Abuja.

At a time the push for consensus is not yielding the desired dividends and is the top party hierarchy bent on producing the standard-bearer via consensus, a cloud of confusion is hovering around the Buhari House national Secretariat of the party, following discordant tunes regarding the conduct of the presidential screening.

The exercise has been postponed twice so far and there is no specific date scheduled for it as of now.

The National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, held a meeting with President Buhari, yesterday. The party leader left without addressing the press. However, sources said it had to do with preparations for the presidential primaries, and approval of the list of members of the screening committee among others.

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The president, who will jet out to Equatorial Guinea for the African Union, AU, meeting today, is expected to meet other party stakeholders including the National Assembly Caucus, to hammer out a template that will lead to rancour-free and credible presidential primaries. Sources said the consensus option is very high on the cards.

Amid the confusion, the APC has again adjusted its Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Governorship, States Houses of Assembly, Senate and House of Representatives Primary Elections barely 24 hours after another adjustment.

Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the party said in a late Monday statement that the National Working Committee NWC of the APC had approved the review on Tuesday.

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The statement equally ruled out participation by statutory or super delegates, following the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Electoral Act 2022 Amendment Bill which would have provided roles for such a category of delegates.

In Tuesday’s revised timetable, the governorship primary elections will hold on Thursday 26th May with only state delegates voting. The primary elections for the state Houses of Assembly will hold on the same day but with local government, delegates voting.

However, the party has swapped the dates for Senatorial and House of Representatives primary elections.

On Friday, local government delegates will vote in the House of Representatives primary elections and do the same for the Senatorial primary elections on May 28.

APC added, “that the Special Convention for the Presidential Primary will be held as scheduled on Sunday, 29th – Monday, 30th of May, 2022.”

(Vanguard)