As jostling for various positions gathers more steam, there was tension, yesterday, as the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, witnessed an unusual huge police presence.
Policemen in several Hilux vans were stationed in strategic locations along the secretariat on Blantyre Street, in what party sources said was to forestall any breakdown of law and order following continued interplay of forces that led to scheduling the convention for February 26.
Meanwhile, the APC has denied zoning party offices while releasing the time-table and schedule of activities for its national convention slated for February 26.
Vanguard exclusively reported on Wednesday that the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, would release a comprehensive time-table for the convention, yesterday. The CECPC considered, adopted, and released the time-table at its 19th regular meeting.
This happened on a day supporters of the presidential aspiration of Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to allow looters hijack delegates to the APC national convention. The appeal came as former Lagos local council chairmen mobilised support for APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is also seeking for the party’s presidential ticket.
Convention time-table
According to the time-table signed by the National Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, the party leadership will receive the interim report of its National Reconci-liation Committee on January 31; consider and adopt reports of state congresses on February 2; inaugurate state executives on February 3; and begin sales of forms to all aspirants vying for national offices on February 14.
Aspirants are expected to submit completed forms and accompanying documents at the National Secretariat on or before February 19, and the party will publish membership of its sub-committees same day.
Accordingly, the CECPC has fixed screening of all aspirants vying for national offices for February 20 to 22.
Other activities in the time-table are screening appeals to hear and resolve complaints arising from the screening exercise on February 23; accreditation of all statutory and elected delegates to the national convention, February 24 and 25; national convention to elect national officers to the National Executive Committee, NEC, February 26; and national convention appeal to hear and resolve complaints arising from the national convention, February 28.
