NEC: Buhari warns against imposition as APC decides on 2023 elections

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The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has warned leaders of the All Progressives Congress at both national and state levels against factions and imposing unpopular candidates as the 2023 general election approaches.

The president gave the warning at the 11th meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress on Wednesday in Abuja.

This is as the party reached agreements on the form it would use to select a presidential candidate and other matters relating to the 2023 general election.

Buhari said, “I enjoin you all to follow due process in all the party processes and more importantly to develop more mechanisms against corruption.

“I call on all party members to abide by all extant laws, rules, and regulations and to leaders of our party to avoid the imposition of candidates that cannot win popular elections.

“This dictatorial behaviour cost us many strategic seats in the past. In the recent past, this led to some of our strong members, unfortunately, opting to go elsewhere because of the unfairly oppressive behaviour of party leaders at the state level.

“I must caution strongly against any tendency towards developing cliques, in–fighting within the party.

“We want to win well not succumb to factions on account of personal acerbities and desire to retain control at all costs. That surely is not the road to win,’’ he said.

APC NEC transfers power to NWC for 90 days

The National Executive Council of the All Progressives Congress has transferred power to the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee until July 2022.

The party’s secretary, Dr Iyiola Omisore, disclosed this to delegates at the 11th National Executive Committee meeting of the APC holding at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

The president also told new members of the National Working Committee, which had been delegated powers of NEC  to work towards keeping the party together by creating more room for discussions.

“There’s no time to develop differences among ourselves. We have no time for that,’’ he added.

2023: Internal crisis threat to victory, says Adamu

On forthcoming general elections in 2023, National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress , Senator Abdullahi Adamu, says the internal crisis in the party may affect the success of the party in the 2023 general election.

“We must succeed, failure is not an option,’’ the APC Chairman said.

Also, Buhari urged party members to be more mindful of the pitfalls that led to the ouster of the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015.

“The PDP thought that only time could remove them, and the time actually came. They thought it was impossible to lose elections,’’ he added.

He said the APC was formed by a merger of Action Congress of Nigeria, Congress for Progressive Change, All Nigeria Peoples Party, some members from All Progressives Grand Alliance and the new PDP, which was a faction of the then ruling party.

“We put together a committee with clear terms of reference on how to remove the PDP from power. The PDP thought it wasn’t going to be possible. But it happened,’’ he said.

“Furthermore I am pleading with all litigants to withdraw cases against the Party and put faith in party mechanisms.

“Now that NEC has vested its powers in NWC for the time being, as requested, and in compliance with the Party Constitution in the overall interest of the Party, I want to assure Mr. Chairman and the entire NWC members of my full support,’’ he said.

APC pegs presidential nomination form at N100m

APC has pegged its presidential nomination and expression of interest forms at N100 million.

The party’s national publicity secretary, Felix Morka, who disclosed this said the nomination form would go for N70 million while expression of interest forms would go for N30 million.

The ruling party said it would begin selling nomination and expression of interest forms for various electoral offices on Saturday, April 23, 2022.

According to Morka, the sale of forms will run from April 23 until May 6, 2022.

APC settles for indirect primary, rules out consensus

APC says it would choose its presidential candidate through an indirect primary election.

Among those who will be contesting the APC Presidential primary are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu; the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi; and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.

Others in the APC who are rumoured to be nursing Presidential ambitions include Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Kayode Fayemi; the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, is also considered a contender.

– Punch

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