APC Governors Divided On Zoning, Direct Primaries

…To Meet Buhari

The Progressives Governor’s Forum rising from a meeting early Monday morning failed to agree on key items on the agenda.

Top on the list was the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket. It is being expected that the party will zone its ticket to the South, which has elicited reactions from some contenders from the zone, but the governors failed to take a position on Sunday night.

The meeting, which held at the Kebbi State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, also failed to produce a unanimous decision on the contentious issue of mode of party primaries as contained in the new amendment to the electoral act now before President Muhammadu Buhari.

While most of the governors prefer indirect primaries, others prefer direct primaries. This caused disagreement at the meeting with a source saying it led to exchange of words between two of the governors.

At least 20 of the governors were in attendance, including the host and Kebbi governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, his counterparts from Kogi, Nasarawa, Katsina, Plateau, Ekiti, Jigawa, Kano, Kwara, Imo, Borno, Ebonyi, Lagos, Zamfara, Niger, Ogun and Cross River.

As the governors failed to agree on the sticky points, it was resolved that Bagudu will meet Buhari for resolution.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the Chairman of the PGF, Atiku Bagudu, was silent on the zoning arrangement for party offices at the national level.

Bagudu dismissed speculations that the APC governors had met with the President to convince him not to assent the Electoral Act Amendment bill, saying the earlier meeting with the President was to discuss the forthcoming national convention of the party.

“I said we are going to meet with our party leader (Buhari) and we appreciate your interest and we will certainly keep you informed”, he stated.

“The party candidates in all elections have the pride of place to determine their views about the outcome, but we are proud that under the APC, an election that was hitherto thought to be impossible has taken place.”

On the insinuation that the party is beset with crisis and may implode, Bagudu dismissed that concerns.

He said, “This is a party which was not only able to mobilize into its fold three outstanding governors into the party, the Deputy Governor of Anambra state, members of the National Assembly, distinguished Nigerians from all walks of life and this is the party where the party leadership is humble to say that all Nigerians should join us so that we unite and serve Nigerians.

“While other parties are sending people away, we, despite our strength are inviting them to join us so that together we reposition and keep the progress agenda”, he stated.