PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NOT OUR PRIORITY NOW - APC •Warns prospective members on ambition [From right, National Women Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Sharon Ikeazor; Deputy National Chairman (South), Senator Anne Okonkwo; Deputy National Legal Adviser, James Ocholi; National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed and National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, at a news conference on the registration of the party in Abuja, on Tuesday.] THE national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the time was not ripe for the party to be talking about its presidential candidate, adding that it is not its priority now. The party also warned prospective members to stop talking about their ambitions, saying until the conclusion of its congresses, what is on the ground was an interim arrangement. This was as it said all communications regarding the party would emanate solely from its interim national publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, while it warned those calling themselves party leaders at the state level to desist, as “they are not yet authorised.” There has been wide speculations that some leaders of the party had been tinkering with the possibility of fielding a Christian candidate from the North as the presidential candidate, with a Muslim deputy president from the South-West. But, a leader of the party and a former presidential candidate of the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), General Muhammadu Buhari, was said to have kicked against the proposed arrangement. However, the interim APC national chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, in Abuja, on Tuesday, cleared the air on the speculation, as he declared that there would be no talk of its presidential candidate until October or November, when the party would hold its national congress. Addressing the maiden press conference after its registration, Akande said APC would hold its congresses at all levels, to establish a proper structure for the party. Assuring of a level-playing field in the take-off of the party, Akande said a committee had been set up, under the leadership of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Bello Masari, to advise on how to go about the congresses. He said the Masari-led committee had August 20 as its deadline to submit its report, assuring that by then, there would be a clear direction of the party ahead of the 2015 elections. He also dismissed the suit filed by the rival African People’s Congress on the acronym APC, adding that the only party using the acronym was his APC, adding that the party had come to stay and that everything would be done to ensure its continued existence. Akande said APC would welcome into its fold President Goodluck Jonathan, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors and other notable leaders of the party if and when they were tired of the crisis in PDP. He cleared the air on the controversy surrounding the membership of the party as he said the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), CPC and the All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) agreed to a merger party at a convention, while a chunk of members of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) agreed to join the union. Akande also said contrary to insinuations, the coming on board of APC would facilitate a two-party system in the country and would further entrench democracy, adding that the party came into existence with a clear manifesto. “APC is not new at all. All the merging parties have been registered as early as the PDP. What we are having now is a mere change of name. All the progressives who were scattered in all other parties came together to form a formidable party to create a platform for a two-party system. “APC has a manifesto that will be fine-tuned and reduced to bullet point to let the people know about its ideology. With what our 11 governors have been doing in their respective states, there is clear indication of the party’s ideological path,” he said. He assured that party would field a candidate for the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State, adding that the Masari-led committee would ensure the party met whatever the requirement and deadline set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the election. Why Danjuma shunned APC invitation More facts have emerged over reported refusal of former Minister of Defence, General Theopilus Danjuma, to accept invitation of the APC to stand as its presidential standard-bearer in 2015 election. Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that some chieftains of the party had suggested the option to the Taraba-born philanthropist, in their bid to field a northern Christian against President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. Danjuma, it was reported, told the emissaries that he was not interested in running for the presidency, as he was committed to spending resources and time for the development of the underprivileged through his foundation. A source at the foundation headquarters in Abuja disclosed that the General revealed his plan to use the foundation to touch lives and change the fortune of many Nigerians for the better. Investigations revealed that the real reason for Danjuma’s rejection was the fact that he belonged to the inner circle of advisers of President Jonathan, since the time of crisis of succession. It was learnt that Danjuma was the main pillar of support for the president during the period, with reports indicating that the former Chief of Army Staff was still a critical adviser to the president on security matters. Some other insiders even posited that the president’s hold on the security situation and structure in the country benefited from the support and counsel of Danjuma. Aside this, it was also gathered that Danjuma was a pillar of support for many Middle Belt associations battling to re-assert themselves in the greater North. A Middle Belt politician close to him said Danjuma would never agree to such agenda in which he was to be used to realise the agenda of some forces.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Aug 2013 11:40:56 +0000
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