By David Lawani and Cross Udo Abuja
Amid pressure on the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) to change the February 26 date for the national convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC), indications emerged yesterday that the exercise may be shifted due to many unresolved issues.

ThisNigeria also learnt yesterday that the protracted war over the scheduled February 26 date is having its toll on the ranks of state governors. Already, the governors of the 36 states are said to have broken into two broad camps over the uncertainty trailing the convention.

Besides, the date coincides with bye-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill in vacant positions in states and federal constituencies.

However, a former national chairman of the party, who did not want his name mentioned, confided in ThisNigeria yesterday that there was nothing on the ground to show that the convention would hold on Saturday.

“As you know, I am not part of the executive to know what is happening. But to be frank, something has to give way. From all indications, there is no way we can have the convention on the 26th of February. It is not possible. How can it be done? Will it be by magic?

“So many things have not been put in place. So, where will they camp the delegates coming from all parts of the country? Where are the organisers? Have they been put in place? Or will they come from the moon? It is a terrible experience. We are all in God’s hands everybody.”

Another party source said, “Nothing has changed except that the convention would not hold. It has been agreed that the convention should be shifted to allow for proper negotiations on consensus candidates and resolve crises in state chapters.

“No form has been printed; no letter has been sent to state chapters inviting them to the convention. You know the list of delegates can’t be manufactured overnight otherwise there will be more crisis. “So, it was agreed that the convention be postponed but the announcement will come after the president has been informed. You know the president is the leader of the party, “he stated.

A member of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Executive Committee, who also did not want his name mentioned, said in a telephone chat, “No convention. We are not looking forward to it. We are just waiting for the announcement.”

Also, the Katsina State Chairman of the party, Mr Sani Ali Ahmad, did not respond to a phone call to his line, but a party leader from the state said “I am not aware, but we all know the drama that has been unfolding will not allow the convention to hold. It’s a game.”

However, the Rivers State Chairman, Mr Emeka Beke, said his executive members do not have any development regarding the convention.

Also, the Cross River State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr Raji Erasmus, confirmed, “There is no notice yet, nothing on delegate yet. As you can see it’s late to hold the convention but let us see how it goes.”

Date coincides with bye-elections
Speaking on the date coinciding with the nationwide bye-election, a member of the party in Cross River State, Mr Paul Okon, said it will be wrong for the national leadership of the party to ignore monitoring the elections closely.

“We have been wondering all along when they said the election will hold on February 26, the same date for state houses of assembly and national assembly bye-elections. It is a wrong decision for the party to pick that date because INEC had long ago announced the date,” he said.

The bye-elections will be conducted in Akure North/Akure South federal constituency, Ondo State; Jos North/Bassa federal constituency, Plateau and Pankshin South State Constituency, Plateau.

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Others are Ogoja/Yala federal constituency, Cross River; Akpabuyo state constituency, Cross River, and Ngor-Okpala State Constituency, Imo.

Govs break into camps, chairmen go underground
Meanwhile, governors of the 36 states are said to have broken into two broad camps over the uncertainty trailing the hosting of the convention.

It was gathered that the principal issues in contention are whether the convention should proceed as scheduled, and which of the six geo-political zones should produce the party’s next national chairman.

The emergence of a letter by some party members seeking offices for the postponement of the convention is said to have compounded matters.

However, some party officeholders are already said to have dissociated themselves from the letter.

Many state chairmen of the party are reported to have gone underground to resist attempts to influence them into signing a document to shift the convention.

It was learnt that the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee has concluded plans to replace the chairman of state APC chairmen forum, Mr Ali Bukar Dalori (Borno) with his Taraba State counterpart, “to force others in line to endorse postponement.”

Governors supportive of the shift are said to have proposed that the CECPC should continue running the affairs of the party, until after the conduct of the primaries for the 2023 polls.

The states’ helmsmen, it was further gathered, also remain divided over the zone that will produce the next national chairman of the party.

The governors had earlier conceded the slot to the North-Central, but some governors reportedly reneged, opting to prevail on a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, from the North-East.

“Most of the governors have however rejected the Dogara option by insisting on conceding the office to North-Central”.

A national daily report that most members of the CECPC led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State had subscribed to the postponement of the convention, “but it has been difficult for the committee to table it before the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF).”

It was learnt that the committee was afraid of a ‘likely revolt’ against it.

Attempts by some governors to prevail on state APC chairmen to call for the postponement of the convention reports added have also failed.

“All the governors are opposed to the convention shift, except Yahaya Bello (Kogi), who is a presidential aspirant, Hope Uzodinma (Imo), and Ben Ayade (Cross River).

“These anti-convention governors cannot constitute themselves into Progressive Governors Forum (PGF). They are in the minority and they don’t even want the same thing.

“One wants to be President, the other (Uzodinma) wants to be vice president to a Northern candidate. What unites them is that they are not keen on the unity of APC but they will eventually lose out.

“We are 22 and they are either three or four. We know the President will go by the position of the majority because he is democratic.

“Up till now, they cannot officially announce a postponement because they know the President’s position. Instead, they are using sleight of hand. They are in charge. If they want a postponement, why hide behind one finger?”

Attempt to speak with the Secretary of CECPC, Mr John Akpanudoedehe, was unsuccessful as he did not pick calls nor respond to text messages.

Buhari meets govs Tuesday
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to meet with APC governors on Tuesday at the State House, Abuja.

The meeting was initially scheduled to hold last Tuesday before it was called off shortly before the President proceeded on a four-day official visit to Brussels, Belgium to attend the EU-AU Summit.

It was reliably gathered that the rescheduled meeting which is at the instance of President Buhari is to look at the national convention of the party fixed for Saturday, February 26, 2022.

It was learnt that the date may no longer be feasible as it is less than a week away with no known programme put in place by the party.

The meeting with the President which will be led by the Chairman of the Interim Committee of the party and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni with 20 other APC Governors in attendance will now table another possible date and other logistics for approval by President Buhari.

The interim leadership of the party was said to be pushing for the convention to be moved by two weeks to mid-March but it will have to seek the approval of President Buhari in his capacity as the National leader of the APC.

This was the same step Buni-led interim committee took last December when it approached the President to approve the February 26 date which President Buhari gladly did.

The same scenario may play out as the President may accede to the extension of the date for the convention being proposed by the party.

Last week Tuesday, some governors turned up at the State House for the meeting with the President before they learnt about the postponement of the meeting.