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LIVE UPDATES: Over 7,000 Delegates Present As APC Holds National Convention

  About a year and nine months after its National Working Committee (NWC) was dissolved, the stage is set for the ruling All Progressives Congress … Continue reading LIVE UPDATES: Over 7,000 Delegates Present As APC Holds National Convention


Some APC members are seen on the stage as the party holds its national convention in Abuja on March 26, 2022. Channels TV/ Sodiq Adelakun.
Some APC members are seen on the stage as the party holds its national convention in Abuja on March 26, 2022. Channels TV/ Sodiq Adelakun.

 

About a year and nine months after its National Working Committee (NWC) was dissolved, the stage is set for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to finally hold its national convention.

The convention is taking place at the Eagle Square in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).


APC Convention: Adamu Emerges National Chairman, Omisore As Secretary

The All Progressives Congress on Sunday selected new executives to oversee the affairs of the party nearly two years after the Adams Oshiomole-led National Working Committee (NWC) was dissolved.


1:33 am: Temidayo Israel Abdullahi confirmed as National Youth Leader

Christopher Akpan confirmed as Deputy National Welfare Secretary

Agunwa Anekwe confirmed as national ex-officio (south-east)


1:30 am: Senator Iyiola Omisore confirmed as National Secretary.


00:40 am: Former Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, promises not to go to court after expressing displeasure over the consensus mode for the convention.


00:13 am: Muhazu Bawa Rijau (Niger) confirmed as national vice-chairman (north-central)

Salihu Lukman (Kaduna) confirmed as national vice-chairman (north-west)

Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim (Taraba) confirmed as deputy national women leader


We Need To Stay Strong And United, Buhari Tells APC


APC Has Invested More In Infrastructure Than Any Other Govt – Osinbajo


Nigerians Will Be Grateful For What We Have Done – Lawan


11:40 pm: Senator Abubakar Kyari confirmed as Deputy National Chairman (North)


Some of the executive positions are already being confirmed:

Ayo Afolabi as zonal publicity secretary (south-west)

Musa Mailafia as zonal publicity secretary (north-west)

Lamido Mohammed as zonal secretary (north-east)

Blessing Agbome (Edo) as zonal organising secretary (south-south)

Isma’il Kolawole Majoro (Oyo) as zonal legal adviser (south-west),

Barrister Chukwuemeka Zonal legal adviser (south-south)

Mayor Ogbona Earnest (Ebonyi) as zonal legal adviser (south-east).

Bashir Usaini Dutse (Jigawa) as zonal legal adviser (north-west)

Dauda Chakpo (Taraba) as zonal legal adviser (north-east)

Hadiza Aliyu (Kogi) as zonal legal adviser (north-central)

Bello Goronyo (Sokoto) as zonal secretary (north-west)

Yakubu Mohammed Adamu (FCT) as zonal secretary (north-central)

Bunmi Oriniowo (Ekiti) as national ex-officio (south-west)

Diriwari Akedewei (Bayelsa) as national ex-officio (south-south)

Allyu Ahmed Yako (Kano) as national ex-officio (north-west)

Oluwatoyin Opawuye (Kwara) as national ex-officio (north-central).

Jamaluddeen Kabir (Zamfara) as deputy national youth leader

Yakubu Murtala Ajaka (Kogi) as deputy national publicity secretary

Hamma-Adama Ali Kumo (Gombe) as deputy national financial secretary

Omorede Osifo (Edo) as deputy national treasurer

Bashir Usman Gumel (Jigawa) as national financial secretary

Ahmed El-Marzuk (Katsina) as national legal adviser

Fetus Fuanter (Plateau) as deputy national secretary

Emma Eneukwu (Enugu) confirmed as deputy national chairman (south)


23:12 pm: BREAKING! Abdullahi Adamu has been confirmed as the National Chairman of the APC.


Our Best Days Are Ahead Of Us In APC – Gbajabiamila


10:52 pm: President Muhammadu Buhari now at the podium delivering his speech.


10:35 pm: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo takes to the podium.


10:21 pm: Senate President Ahmed Lawan now delivering his goodwill message.


10:15 pm: Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila delivers his goodwill message.


10:00 pm: Chairman of the Progressives Governor Forum (PGF), Atiku Bagudu and some of his colleagues take to the podium.


Why APC Will Win Elections By Landslide – Buni


9:00 pm: APC Caretaker Chairman, Mai Mala Buni is now delivering a speech.


8:23 pm: President Muhammadu Buhari has arrived the convention ground.


APC Has Laid Foundation For A Greater Tomorrow – Gbajabiamila


7:59 pm: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has arrived at the convention venue. The President is still being expected.


7:06 pm: The Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, has arrived the convention venue. The President and Vice President are yet to arrive.


7:03 pm: The convention will start very soon, says Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.

It was scheduled to start at 1pm.

“We are starting late, but it is better to get the right,” the Speaker says.


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 INEC Has Sanctioned What We Are Doing Today – Gov Fayemi



4:50 pm: Six contestants for the APC National Chairman position are said to have stepped down for the party’s consensus pick, Abdullahi Adamu, according to this letter signed by George Akume.

George-Akume-And-Six-Others-Step-Down-For-Abdullahi-Adamu


APC Governors Are United And Loyal To President Buhari – Uzodimma


4:14 pm: Governor Uzodimma: “All the 22 Governors are united and we are loyal to the President and to the leadership of the party. And there is no dissenting voice. This convention is like a family business. And we are going to sit here as a family, leave here as a family, conclude the convention as a family. I have no doubt in my mind we will have a successful convention.”


4:12 pm: Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is also the Chairman of the technical committee on monitoring and supervision of the convention, says all the 22 APC Governors are united.


Channels Television’s Political Correspondent Explains Voting Process


APC Nat’l Convention: I Have No Idea About Unity List – Abike Dabiri Erewa


What We Are Doing To Achieve A Safe, Secure Nat’l Convention – Alwan Hassan


APC Nat’l Convention: We Are Not Expecting Any Rancour – Ayo Oyalowo


In the course of today’s exercise, the APC is expected to elect a new NWC which includes a member to succeed former Governor Adams Oshiomhole as the party’s substantive national chairman.

The convention is being organised by the Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, which has since taken over the administration of the party’s affairs pending the election of a new NWC.

Governor Buni led CECPC took over the APC leadership in June 2020 after the APC National Executive Council met and resolved to dissolve the NWC based on the recommendations of the President, in a bid to resolve the crisis that hit the party at the time.

READ ALSO: Abdullahi Adamu Is Our Consensus Candidate For APC Chairman – Gov Sule

A year and five months after the dissolution of the NWC, President Muhammadu Buhari approved February 2022 for the APC to conduct its national convention, but the exercise could not take place as it was postponed.

Following the announcement of the March 26 date, the party zoned the positions of its national chairman and national secretary to the north-central and south-west regions respectively.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has moved to stop the ruling party from going ahead with the convention, as scheduled.

In a suit filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the main opposition party is challenging APC’s governance structure, thereby asking for the convention to be declared unconstitutional.

It also wants the court to order the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to de-register the APC on the ground that the party, by its entire structure, has run afoul of the constitutional stipulations for running a political party.

By a certified true copy of INEC’s list of current EXCO, according to the PDP, the APC is being run by a 13-member EXCO as against 24 required by the law.

It said that was below the constitutional stipulations in Section 223 of the 1999 Constitution which required the EXCO or governing body of a political party to be drawn from 2/3 of the 36 states of the Federation.

The photos below highlight the activities at the venue of the convention ahead of the exercise.