By Nathaniel Zaccheaus, Abuja
Members of the All-Progressives Congress in the Senate are currently divided over the choice of the national chairman of the party.

Three APC senators, Messrs Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Sani Musa (Niger) and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), are currently contesting the position with other members of the party outside the Senate.

Except for any last-minute change, the convention of the party would hold on March 26 in Abuja, where elected officials of the party would emerge.

Currently, there are senators who are supporting the candidacy of Adamu based on information that he is the choice of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was also alleged that the senators in the camp of Adamu are also working for the emergence of Rotimi Amaechi as the Presidential candidate of the party.

They were alleged to have chosen Adamu because of their belief that nobody would be able to influence whatever decision the President wanted him to take ahead of the 2023 elections.

A source in the Senate told This Nigeria on conditions of anonymity yesterday that the sharp division among his colleagues was real.

He said, “The game plan is to make Abdullahi Adamu the chairman of the party and Farouk Aliyu, a former House of Representatives member from Jigawa State, as the deputy.

“ They are working with some people in the presidency to ensure the emergence of Rotimi Amaechi as the APC presidential candidate.

“Their plan is clearly against the wishes of majority of the party members who believe that a man with his own personal political structures should emerge as the candidate

“ They claimed to have already met with the president and that the president had bought into their game plan.”

Our correspondent observed that some senators were at the campaign office of Adamu on Friday when the aspirant unveiled the newly renovated edifice.

The senators who attended the ceremony and spoke on the occasion included, Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege; the Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi; Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu: Adamu Aliero and Ali Ndume among others.

They all spoke clearly about their belief in Adamu and the fact that he had the competence and capability to lead the party.

Contacted after the occasion, Ndume confirmed that he was supporting Adamu because of his competence and blunt attitude to social and political issues.

Ndume said, “I am supporting Abdullahi Adamu because he is the most qualified and courageous among other aspirants.
“Adamu is somebody who can not be influenced with money. He is not afraid to say anything in favour of whatever he believes in.”

Attempts to speak with Al-makura Musa and Adamu on the issue, failed yesterday.
However, Musa in an interview he granted a newspaper yesterday, said he was enjoying the support and cooperation of his colleagues particularly the chairmanship aspirants.

He said, “ We have cordial relationship. I respect those that are older than me and I also reciprocate the same gesture of respect to those that I am ahead of in terms of age.

“I respect those that are my seniors. I will seize this opportunity to call on those that have been in this system to give those that are new, a trial so that we will come up with fresh ideas.

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“At 57 years old, I should be able to steer the ship of APC and put it on the pedestal of success and of winning elections.”
Asked if he belongs to the camp of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu or Amaechi, Musa said he belongs to the APC.

He said, “I belong to APC.. I strongly believe that Asiwaju is in APC, the same way the governors and the political appointees are also in the party. Sani Musa is also in APC,” he submitted.