Buni Pushes For Convention Shift, Stops Sales Of Forms

The National Convention of the All Progressives Congress scheduled to hold in less than ten days may be shifted.

The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni, has stopped sale of nomination forms and has continued to push for a shift in the date.

Although a source said no form has been printed, it was reliably gathered on Wednesday that Buni has stuck to his initial plan not to host the convention separately from the party’s presidential primary.

Findings by THE WHISTLER revealed that one of the topics that would have been on the agenda if the meeting of APC governors with President Muhammadu Buhari had held last Tuesday would have been to extract the president’s commitment to a shift in the date.

It was believed that once the president endorsed it, no governor or group would kick against it, which informed why a meeting was fixed with the president for Tuesday but could not hold.

The president however held sessions in turn with governors of Kogi and Imo states, Messrs Yahaya Bello and Hope Uzodimma, with both addressing State House Correspondents afterwards.

In what appeared revealing, Uzodimma said there was nothing wrong if the party decided to shift its convention.

The governor was asked if the convention might still hold despite the delays, he said, “Of course, that is the decision of the party, and there is nothing wrong even if it doesn’t hold, what is important is that we must have our convention.

“We have said it’s February 26, if for any reason tomorrow it is not doable in the opinion of the party, we will move. But that does not mean that there is any intention to move.”

Aspirants who went to the party’s headquarters on the 14th of February, the date fixed for the commencement of the sales of forms were turned back as they were told sales of forms had not commenced.

On Tuesday, they were still turned back and on Wednesday, our correspondent gathered that sales of forms still did not commence.

The APC spokesman, John Akpanudoedehe did not respond to enquiries.

But an aspirant seeking election into the National Executive Committee of the party told THE WHISTLER on phone that one of the contentious issues was the issue of zoning.

“There is serious disagreement among the governors on where the National Chairman should come from. That has stalled the zoning of other offices.

“The plan was to meet with the president, agree on that and also discuss if the February 26 was feasible. Unfortunately, that meeting did not hold.”

He also revealed that there was no sign of printed forms when he visited the party’s headquarters on Tuesday, for, “I asked and I was told no form had been printed. I knew it would he hard to hold the convention because of time.

“There must be time for screening after the sales of forms. Members are expected to fill their forms and return it. The general plan including logistics, where delegates would stay and finance have all not begun. So, you fix it yourself if the convention will hold or not because by now you should know the processes that lead to it.”