•Party insists on zoning, cites INEC’s guideline
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, is facing severe internal crisis just days before its National Convention at Eagle Square, as some aspirants allege a “tactical approach” to exclude them from the race through the denial of nomination forms.
While the party leadership insists on a state of readiness for the March 26 and 27 ballot, the surfacing of “anointed” candidates and the “hoarding” of expression of interest documents suggest a house divided against itself.
Director General of the APC States Assembly Forum, ASAF, and an aspirant for the Zonal Vice Chairman (South-South), Ambassador Dagogo Fubara, has petitioned the National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, over what he described as a deliberate bottleneck.
Despite fulfilling all financial obligations, including the payment of N5.1 million, Fubara claimed he was repeatedly turned down at the office of the organizing secretary without “reasonable reasons.”
In a scathing letter of protest, Fubara noted that the filing of such forms was “tasking and requires a minimum of four days to fill/complete,” further asserting his suspicion of foul play.
“I do not wish to believe that the delay or refusal by the National Organizing Secretary is a tactical approach to exclude me from the election,” Fubara wrote in his petition, pointedly adding that “time is of the essence” as the convention deadline looms.
Against the grain
The aspirant is not alone in his grievance as Oyiborume Paul Yovwe, who is eyeing the National Secretary position, narrated a similar ordeal after following the official procedure for obtaining the form, which costs N7.5 million.
Yovwe said when he attempted to convert his bank teller into an official receipt, he was met with a blunt refusal from the finance department.
“I went to the financial department to clear my payment and convert the teller to a receipt, but they refused. When I asked why, I was told the form for the position of national secretary had already been assigned to one person,” Yovwe alleged.
However, Vanguard reports that the party had last week announced that it would go into the convention with its existing zoning formula.
The formula effectively dismisses Mr Yovwe from the race, as he is from Delta State (South South), while the position he is seeking – national secretary – is zoned to the South-West, with the incumbent from Osun State.
In an earlier statement, National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, had urged aspirants to be well-guided.
He said: “As contained in the published All Progressives Congress, APC, 2026 Schedule of Nationwide Congresses, National Convention, and Related Activities, the existing zoning arrangement for National Working Committee positions across states within the geo-political zones remains valid and applicable to the upcoming for national convention.
“Aspirants purchasing and submitting Expression of Interest and Nomination Forms for national offices, ahead of the National Convention, are advised to be strictly guided by the existing zoning arrangement.”
There were mounting concerns that the convention committee may have printed only solitary nomination forms for the offices of the national chairman and national secretary, specifically intended for the incumbents.
This move is boosted by groups such as the Prince Simon Ali Support Organization, which had already purchased the N10 million forms for the retention of Yilwatda as national chairman.
The group’s Director-General, Dominic Alancha, dismissed claims of exclusion, insisting they acted because they believed the chairman had the “capacity and confidence to move this party forward and lead us into the upcoming elections with guaranteed victory.”
Amid these competing interests, power blocs within the party, ranging from the influential Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF, the National Assembly Caucus, to disgruntled regional caucuses, threatened to disrupt the peace of the convention.
While Nze Chidi Duru, the Deputy National Organizing Secretary, indicated that the party’s publicity directorate was working on a statement to address these developments, others within the leadership remained cautious.
Mr. Abimbola Tooki, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategic Communications to the APC National Chairman, when reached for comments, said there was no directive barring anyone from picking forms. He, however, said the process was guided by established party structures and that since the National Executive Committee, NEC, had zoned the offices, only those who qualified from their zones were eligible to pick forms to contest for the offices zoned to their areas.
Tooki said: “There is no such directive from any individual party executive. However, the process is guided by established party structures and constitutional provisions.
“The National Executive Committee has already determined the zoning of positions, and eligibility to purchase nomination forms is strictly based on compliance with those zoning arrangements.
“In essence, only aspirants who are duly qualified within the approved zoning framework are permitted to obtain forms and contest. This ensures order, fairness, and adherence to the party’s internal guidelines.’’
The post APC convention: Aspirants cry foul allege hoarding of nomination forms appeared first on Vanguard News.
