Indications emerged at the weekend that the Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, CECPC, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) might be seeking a two-week extension of its planned February 26 National Convention, having lost some grounds in relation to adherence to the time-table.
The CECPC, now planning to meet between tomorrow and Wednesday on the matter, is also expected to present the proposal to President Muhammadu Buhari on his return from Belgium.
A top party source told Sunday Vanguard that the CECPC is harping on the recent resolution of the crisis in its Kano chapter as one of the grounds for asking for a postponement.
He said the CECPC will be meeting Buhari with two proposals, one to go ahead with the February 26 date earlier approved by by the President, and two, the proposal seeking a two-week extension.
“Gov. Buni is expected to meet with the President along with some governors of the party. They will present to him the template for the February 26 date and also make him see reason why that date is no longer feasible, citing the recent resolution of crisis in Kano and the need to resolve the crisis particularly in Sokoto and a few others. They will also make him see that they have lost a lot of grounds with respect to adherence to the timetable. Sale of forms have not begun and so many things have not been done”, he stated.
According to him, the CECPC is also waiting to receive the final report of the Sen. Abdullahi Adamu-led APC National Reconciliation Committee before going ahead with the Convention.
Out of all the items listed on its Convention timetable, only three activities have been carried out.
The party leadership had, on January 31, received the interim report of its National Reconciliation Committee, and, on February 2, considered and adopted reports of State Congresses. On February 3, it inaugurated State Executives.
However, sale of forms to aspirants vying for national offices, scheduled to commence on February 14, did not happen.
By the time-table, aspirants were expected to submit completed forms and accompanying documents at the National Secretariat on or before February 19, while the party will publish membership of its sub-committees same day.
Accordingly, the CECPC also fixed the screening of aspirants vying for national offices for February 20 to 22.
Other activities in the time-table were: “Screening Appeals to hear and resolve complaints arising from the screening exercise – 23/02/2022.
“Accreditation of all statutory and elected delegates to the National Convention – 24th – 25th of February 2022;
“National Convention to elect National Officers to the National Executive Committee (NEC) – 26/02/2022.
“National Convention Appeal to hear and resolve complaints arising from the National Convention – 28/02/2022”.
