The newly registered All Progressives
Congress has launched a charm offensive to woo the South-East and
South-South zones, which are considered to be the strongholds of
President Goodluck Jonathan.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered on Friday
that the party, having realised its weakness and President Jonathan’s
strength in the two zones, has decided to revisit the zoning of its
offices.
Sources told our correspondents that the
mega opposition party might zone its vice-presidential ticket and top
party offices to the South-East and South-South. Currently, the new
party has a governor in the two zones apiece.
President Jonathan is from the
South-South, Vice-President Namadi Sambo (North-West); Senate President
David Mark (North-Central); the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Aminu Tambuwal (North-West); Secretary to the Government of the
Federation, Senator Pius Anyim (South-East); Deputy Senate President,
Ike Ekweremadu (South-East); and Deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha
(South-East).
An APC chief, who confided in one of
our correspondents, said, “We believe that we should not have any
problem in the North-West, North-East, North-Central and the South-East.
“But we need to do more work in the
South-East and South-South. From all indications, President Goodluck
Jonathan will get the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential ticket. He
has strong support in the two zones. We, therefore, need to neutralise
him there.
“Apart from embarking on aggressive
campaigns in the two zones, more positions will be zoned to the areas.
The South-East may get the vice-presidential slot, while the post of the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation may go to the
South-South. The presence of the Edo State Governor, Adam Oshiomhole
and his Imo State counterpart, Rochas Okorocha, will also assist us in
the zones.”
The APC leader also explained that the
present structure of the party was tentative, adding the composition of
its National Working Committee would be national.
According to him, the structure of the party will emerge after its national convention
He said, “We have learnt from the
mistakes of the PDP. Although there is a gentleman’s agreement that the
presidency will go to the North, others zones will not be neglected.
“We believe that even in the
South-South, this government has not met the expectations of Nigerians.
The rate of poverty in the country is going up in spite of figures being
reeled out by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.”
The APC’s present interim management
includes Chief Bisi Akande (Chairman); Senator Annie Okonkwo (Deputy
Chairman, South); Aminu Masari (Deputy Chairman, North); Mr. Tijani
Tumsah (Secretary); Mallam Nasir-el-Rufai(Deputy National Secretary);
Hajiya Sadiya (Treasurer); Mr. Lai Mohammed (National Publicity
Secretary); and Mr. Isa Madu Chul (Deputy National Publicity Secretary).
Others are the National Organising
Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso; National Vice-Chairman for
South-West, Mr. Niyi Adebayo; National Vice-Chairman, South-South, Chief
Tom Ikimi; National Vice-Chairman, North-Central, Gen. Abdullahi Aboki;
National Vice-Chairman, South-East, Dr. Ayim Nyerere; National
Vice-Chairman, North-West, Mr. Salisu Fagge; and National Vice-Chairman,
North-East, Mr. Umaru Duhu.
The party has governors in 11 states:
Edo (South-South); Nasarawa (North-Central); Imo (South-East);
Zamfara, (North-West); Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun (South-West), Borno
and Yobe (North-East).
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the
party, among other strategies, was banking on the incumbency factor to
retain the 11 states. Although the APC only controls Zamfara State in
the North-West and Borno and Yobe states in the North-East, it is
banking on the presence of the former presidential candidate of the
Congress for Progressive Change, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) in the
party to sway voters in the two zones. Buhari enjoys tremendous goodwill
in the core North.
Besides the former head of state, other
prominent northerners in the party are a former Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Masari, and an ex-governor of Zamfara State,
Senator Ahmed Yerima.
The APC is also said to be enjoying the
backing of top members of the Northern Elders’ Forum and the Arewa
Consultative Forum, who see it as an alternative platform for the North
to actualise its plan to produce the president in 2015.
The party, sources say, is banking on
the popularity of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in the
South-West to retain the zone while also being optimistic that Goodluck
Jonathan administration’s alleged marginalisation of the South-West
would make it difficult for the ruling party to win the zone.
When asked the plans of the APC for the
two zones, the Interim National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, said
the party would focus on the South-East and the South-South.
“Even before the advent of the APC, at
the level of the ACN, we had a strong presence in Edo State, which is in
the South-South. The governor is in APC, and we have members of the
National Assembly.
Also in Anambra, in the South-East, we
have federal legislators. We also have a presence in Imo State. We know
that Jonathan got a lot of votes from the South-East and South-South in
2011, but things are changing. We know that we have a lot of work in
those two zones and we will not relent.”
Similarly, former National Publicity
Secretary of the now defunct CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, confirmed the
possibility of a realignment of structure.
Fashakin said, “The truth of the matter is that the offices were shared when we were three different parties.
“Now that we are one party, there is
nothing like CPC, ACN or ANPP anymore. It’s all one single party — APC.
You know, a part of APGA is in this enterprise. The Anambra State
election will be a test case. We will work at getting Anambra, and from
there we can reach the whole of the South-East.
“We are going to work in all
geopolitical zones to ensure the complete routing of the PDP. There will
be no hiding place for the PDP. By next week, we will begin membership
registration across the country. Everybody will be on the same level. It
is going to be a mass movement.
“For the South-South, the question is
what have the South-South people benefitted from Jonathan’s government,
except the Ijaw people? But it is not only Ijaw people that are in the
South-South. We will reach out to every ethnic group in the South-South
and other zones too. We will soon hold our convention and whatever
issues are left will be sorted out.”
On his part, the spokesman for erstwhile
All Nigerian Peoples Party, Emma Eneukwu, said the APC was certain of
getting the South-East.
“Igbo people now know that Jonathan is
not working in their interest. So, through Imo State that is already
with APC, we will get the South-East. We may consider zoning if it
becomes necessary. Now that we have been registered, we are starting
massive mobilisation across all zones of the country, South-East and
South-South will not be exceptions,” he said.
Fashakin further disclosed that the defunct constituent parties of the APC would meet on Tuesday to discuss “guidelines.”
He said, “One thing I am sure of is that
our mobilisation efforts will be comprehensively done. We are going to
the polling unit level. That is why it is going to be big trouble for
the PDP because in our constitution, we are going to have executive
committees of five persons each, in each polling unit.
“If INEC says that there are 120 polling
units, there will be at least five persons in each of those polling
units. The Independent National Electoral Commission too will have to
conduct credible elections because they are being watched by Nigerians
every step of the way.”
PUNCH
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If the North cannot give up the presidential ticket then to hell with APC.
ReplyDeleteSo you want to select a northern presidential candidate? These people do not get it. Anyway this will be the end of Nigeria if they want to do that as I cannot see anyone that the South will vote for.
ReplyDeleteNa so Oh!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAPC was formed solely to give the north the presidency not as an alternative to PDP afterall all of them are the same regardless of political parties. Am so sorry for those in the south supporting their cause for their supports are purely PERSONAL not for the interest of the south. To hell with them
ReplyDeleteWise men of APC dominated by the northern politicians we greet you . You mean you have all these good plans for the South Eastern zone but you cannot give them the support to produce the president of Nigeria in 2015 if the incumbent president will not be contesting? Wise men please can you tell us the function of a vise president in a presidential system of government . The late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe handled such post in the then parliamentary system , in the second republic Dr. Alex Ekwueme was the Vise president to president Shagari ,none of these people mentioned could not have change the system because they were second in command . How can we be castigating GEJ who is just two years plus as a president for not doing much for South East but you that were there for over thirty years both in military and civilian regimes could not prove better rather you regard us as defeated people in the civil war . In the same manner one of your governors has just deported some Easters from his state . We feel more comfortable with the present government if not anything the constant killing of the Igbos which is the means the North is using to reduce the population of the zone in Nigeria is not in South South . Time has proved sweet campaign irrelevant in our country today . North must get it but you cannot allow the man their to finish giving out his own contribution , everyday Boko Haram is causing one problem or the other and you cannot do anything because the president is not from the North .
ReplyDeleteIf the North will be rational enough to release the Presidency to someone in South-West, or South-East, it will make sense. I am from South-South. I have not benwfitted anything from GEJ's administration.I voted for him, yet I will burn fuel to run generator for 2 months at a go in Calabar without seeing public power supply. Also, the Aba-ITU-Calabar Highway has been a nightmare, yet this is the only road that brings in people to Calabar where I live. How can I ever vote for GEJ again? I need alternatives desperately but a northern Presidency is not the solution. If the north can reason well, they should first give the Presidency to another zone, just to make sure that GEJ doesn't win. It is only after this that they should start thinking of fielding their candidates in 2019. Otherwise, all other regions will be suspicious of their real intention. I will like to see a brave opposition candidate who would probe OBJ, GEJ, IBB, Atiku and all their ministers. They have inflicted an e erlasting wound on this country. I need a truly patriotic government that would probe these people without installing a sectional and/or religious sentiments.
ReplyDeletei hate a p c becos noting goog will come out of them.tinubu,buhari,fashola,dey are too tribalic.am is a sory muslim party.
ReplyDeletethis i a party with pundicts thats got prospeects nd ideas. am soo in love with it.up APC
ReplyDelete