There were indications on Friday night that the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), may have been shifted from tomorrow to June 6 – 7, 2022.
The shift, according to sources close to the leadership of the party, stemmed from the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the deadline for the conclusion of party primaries by six days.
There was no official statement on the shift in convention date from the APC on Friday night. Speculation was rife that the agitation for extension of the timeline was instigated by the ruling APC whose leadership has been overwhelmed with logistics for the conduct of its presidential convention.
Investigation revealed that although the screening of the APC presidential aspirants commenced on Friday at an undisclosed location, there appears to be no indication that the convention would proceed as scheduled.
A party source told Saturday Tribune that composition and inauguration of Committees to drive the convention have not been put in place.
“Do you proceed to assemble party leaders and delegates at the Eagles Square without announcing committees and give them responsibility? No one knows what is going on inside the party’s national secretariat. Everything revolves around the national Chairman,” the source said.
Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the APC could not be reached for comments as he refused to pick his calls.
Parties now have up till June 9, 2022 to conclude the primaries and submit nominations to the electoral body.
INEC’s decision was a response to a request from the 18 political parties for the extension of the deadline for the conduct of primaries, conventions and submission of names of nominated candidates.
INEC took the position on Friday after a meeting with the leadership of the political parties held at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The 18 political parties eligible to field candidates in the forthcoming general elections were led to the meeting by the national chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP)and chairman of the InterParty Advisory Council (IPAC), Mr Sani Yabagi Yusuf Sani.
The ADP chairman, in his presentation, made a fresh request for a week extension. The commission, in a statement last night signed by the chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed that the commission had resolved to accede to the political parties’ demand as it was convinced that it would not in any way disrupt the timetable for the 2023 general elections.
The statement reads in part: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met with the leadership of political parties today, Friday, 27th May, 2022. Once again, the political parties requested the commission to review the timelines for political party primaries provided in the timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2023 general election released on Saturday, 26th February, 2022.
“Earlier, the political parties had requested for 37-60 days extension of the timeline for primaries and the nomination of candidates. The commission was emphatic that this request could not be granted because it would disrupt other scheduled activities on the timetable. This position of the commission has not changed.
Source: Tribune