Screening of aspirants vying for various party positions failed to commence yesterday ahead of the Saturday’s national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The screening was supposed to commence last Saturday, but was delayed by the late submission of forms by aspirants.
A party source, who pleaded anonymity, told DAILY POST that there would be harmonisation today to allow the screening committee commence the exercise.
Recall that the Chairman of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and the Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni set up sub-convention committees before travelling out to Dubai for medical treatment.
Also, Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Bello, while acting as the Chairman, pruned down the number of the committees put in place by Buni.
The source said, “You know we have two lists. The one set up by Mai Mala and Bello. There will be harmonisation of both lists before the screen commences tomorrow (today).”
Meanwhile, the South-west has nominated Mr. Isaac Kekemeke (Ondo State) as its candidate for National Vice Chairman (Southwest) and Senator Iyiola Omisore (Osun) as National Secretary.
Kekemeke is a former Secretary to the Ondo State government and one-time Attorney-General, while Omisore was a two-time Senator.
Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, who is the coordinator of the Southwest Governors’ Forum, announced the nominations yesterday.
Speaking through his Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, Akeredolu said Kekemeke’s aspiration was not just an Ondo project, but a Southwest project.
He, however, warned against any plot by external forces to truncate the declared interest of the zonal leaders and stakeholders.
The Governor vowed that the zone would resist efforts to create division by attempting to impose aspirants for party offices.
Akeredolu explained that APC stakeholders in the Southwest micro-zoned the positions that were brought to the region.
He said: “He has paid his dues and that is exactly what Mr. Governor has rallied his colleagues to reciprocate.
“Those who are peddling other stories such as national secretary outside Oyo and Osun axis are instruments in the hands of external forces desirous to create division among leaders in the Southwest to impose persons on the party.
“For emphasis, what we are going for is national vice chairman with Kekemeke as our candidate and not the national secretary. Those outside the Southwest, who are attempting to micro-zone our offices for us in Southwest are only creating unnecessary confusion and any such permutation outside the decision of stakeholders in the Southwest should be ignored.”
