Likely implications of APC’s zoning formula

Following the official endorsement of its zoning committee’s recommendations by the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), party faithful says it’s a pointer to where the Presidential slot is headed.

Recall that shortly after the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa penultimate week, Kaduna State governor informed State House Correspondents that the issues of zoning and convention date had been resolved.

El-Rufai explained that the zoning scheme was actually a swap of positions previously occupied by former occupants between North and South geopolitical zones.

The Kaduna State governor described the zoning arrangement agreed to by the governors and the President as: “A very simple, equitable and fair formula,” stressing that with the development all areas of disagreements have been cleared for a rancour-free national convention on Saturday, March 26.

However, shortly after the disclosure, attempts were made by interest groups to alter the zoning arrangement so as not to jeopardise their future political fortune, particularly, the Presidential and Vice Presidential aspirations.

However, arising from its meeting at the APC headquarters yesterday, the acting CECPC chairman and governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, said the approved recommendations showed that the position of APC National Chairman would go to the North Central geopolitical zone.

The position of national chairman, which was variously occupied by Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, was zoned to South/South in the outgoing dispensation in which the Northwest produced the President in the person of President Buhari.

In a statement, the Director of Publicity, Salihu Dambatta, noted that while the Southwest is expected to produce the National Secretary, the Southeast would occupy the Deputy National Chairman South and South/South, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary.

“During its regular meeting on March 8, 2022, the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress approved the recommendations of the zoning committee on the zoning of the offices,” he stated.

If the zoning arrangement is anything to go by, especially given the preceding arrangement in which Northeast produced the National Secretary, the Presidential aspiration of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governor Yahaya Bello, have been put in jeopardy.

But some prominent party leaders said zoning of positions has no implication on the presidential ambition of politicians from the Southwest.

A source said, “Presidential candidate of the party can still come from any of the zones in the South. The tradition is that the chairman of the party and the President cannot come from the same zone. Zoning National Secretary’s slot to the South West has nothing to do with the presidential ambition of Tinubu, Osinbajo and Fayemi.”

Sources disclosed that an attempt to push the office of National Secretary to Southeast was a last-ditch strategy to block the zone from fielding a possible Presidential standard-bearer.

Going by the zoning arrangement sighted by The Guardian, positions previously held by the South/South geopolitical zone went to the North Central, thus predicting the emergence of the party’s next national chairman from North Central.

Conversely, positions previously held by party faithful from Northeast went to Southwest geopolitical zone, a development that moves the office of National Secretary to be occupied by a person from Southwest.

In the same vein positions that resided in the Northwest geopolitical district were swapped to the Southeast.

It would be recalled that Chairman of Senate Committee on Army, Senator Ali Ndume, said he had two chairmanship aspirants in mind to support from either Northeast or North Central, stressing that he expected the APC to zone the chairmanship to North since the Presidential slot was going South.

Investigation by The Guardian revealed that Ndume was favourably disposed to Senator Ali Modu Sherrif and Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who is being pencilled as potential consensus candidates.

Against the background of the zoning of the National Secretary, which is a major party position, to Southwest, APC stakeholders from Southeast have gone into the celebratory mood, touting that as a predictor that the Presidency currently held by Northwest will automatically go to Southeast or South/South.

Anambra State APC chairman, Chief Basil Ejidike, told The Guardian that stakeholders from his state scheduled a meeting in Abuja by 10.00 p.m. to closely study the development with a view to putting its house in order preparatory to the March 26 national convention.

However, Ebonyi State Chairman of the party, Comrade Stanley Okoro Emegha, said many Nigerians started rejoicing at the zoning format, which he said favoured Governor David Umahi’s presidential ambition.

Emegha disclosed that despite the temporary setback from the Federal High Court ruling that sacked Umahi and his deputy, Dr. Kelechi Igwe, it was obvious that God has designed and paved the path for him to become President.

On his part, a founding member of APC in Southeast, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, said, “the swap doctrine adopted is a milestone by President Buhari and APC governors for the unity and prosperity of our great party and by extension our dear country.”

Expressing the hope that the zoning puzzle has been solved, Okechukwu, who is also the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (DG VON), stated: “If the swap doctrine is extended to the zoning of the President, it will reinforce the position of some of us that inclusiveness, equity and good conscience will consolidate gains made by Mr President, unify the country and hence elevate Nigeria to regain her position as the giant of Africa.

“For instance, with the Secretary zoned to the Southwest, being the second-highest office in the hierarchy of the party after the chairman, presupposes that the president may be zoned to the Southeast or South South. This will more than any other factor guarantees the victory of APC in 2023 Presidential election.”

However, faulting the decision of the CECPC, former Deputy National Vice Chairman (South/South) of the party, Chief Hillard Etta, said the action was mere “a continuation of illegality and constitutionality.”

Etta said no amount of cover-up would remove the fact that the CECPC is living on borrowed time, stressing, “I do not believe that an illegal contraption can do what is legal, because you cannot build something on nothing and expect it to stand. For me, you cannot build legal structures on an illegal contraption. So, we watch and we pray.”

While contending that every subsequent action taken by the CECPC would amount to a continuation of the deepening illegality, Etta stated: “First of all, you know that the purported NEC (National Executive Committee) meeting in Aso Villa in June of 2020 was not the NEC of the party as envisioned and as intended by the APC constitution.

It would be seen how various aspirants not favoured by the zoning arrangement would react to the recommendations, especially Ali Modu Sheriff and Senator Abdullaziz Yari of Zamfara State.

Further, how the zoning of party functionaries would impact the Presidential ticket of the party depends on the stature of the incoming APC National Working Committee (NWC), especially given President Buhari’s determination to pursue his succession plan.

A cursory look at the zoning arrangement reveals that North Central, comprising Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau States, will throw up the following officers, National Chairman, National Vice Chairman (North Central); Deputy National Secretary; Deputy National Legal Adviser; Deputy National Publicity Secretary; Zonal Secretary; Zonal Youth Leader; Zonal Organising Secretary; Zonal Women Leader; Zonal Special Leader (Persons with Disabilities – PWD) and National Ex – Officio Member.

MEANWHILE, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has urged APC national chairmanship hopeful, Senator Sani Musa, to remain focused and continued with his consultations process and not get distracted.

Speaking yesterday when he received Musa, a frontline APC chairmanship aspirant and his team, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Government House, Alagbaka, Ondo State, Akeredolu, said the APC needs a national chairman who is energetic, accessible, people-oriented with the capacity to sit down, listen and interact with party members. 

Senator Musa and his team visited Akeredolu in the continuation of his consultation with governors and stakeholders of the APC to remind them of his aspiration for the position of national chairman of the party during this month’s national convention.

Speaking further, Akeredolu who harped on the leadership qualities expected of the potential chairmanship candidate of the APC, stressed that the ruling party at this crucial stage will do well to avoid candidates with predetermined ulterior motives for the party, even before they assume leadership. 

The governor who hailed the intellectual audacity of Senator Musa described him as the kind of leader the party needed now for the APC to progress as they approach the 2023 general elections.

Akeredolu disclosed that he is not against APC zoning of offices once they are done to reflect equity, fairness and justice as he further encouraged Musa to continue with his consultations with leaders and stakeholders within the party stating that “it is not over until it is over.” 

Senator Musa, in his speech, solicited the support of the governor on his ambition ahead of the party’s national convention scheduled for March 26.
 
The Niger East senator also used the opportunity to reel out his lofty plans for the party if given the opportunity to lead as the chairman of APC.

He said the party needed a total leadership reorientation for it to actualise its institutional potentials, even as he assured that he would be adaptive to a participatory and affiliative work style that will usher in visionary and pacesetting leadership for the party as that would give the party a new direction and philosophy.