2019: APC holds special national convention in Abuja today

…To adopt Buhari as its presidential flag bearer
The All Progressives Congress (APC) sole candidate in the Presidential election in 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari, will be adopted on Saturday as about 7,000 delegates will meet in a special convention at the Eagle Square, Abuja.

Speaking on preparations for the convention, Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima, who stood in for the Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, said in states where there were parallel congresses, only delegates from the state executives approved by the National Working Committee (NWC) would be allowed to participate in the exercise.

Giving a breakdown of the number of delegates, Shettima said that 7, 000 delegates are expected and in order to ensure that those from far-flung states make it in time for the exercise, “we decided to schedule it for 2pm,” adding that aside the statutory delegates, there would be three delegates drawn from each local government and area councils of the federation.

He described the crisis currently afflicting the party as a “family affair” which would be resolved in no time, saying that , “This is a family affair and the NWC is working assiduously to resolve all the issues”.

He also said that Edo, Imo, Anambra and Zamfara states are excluded, adding that: “while delegates from other states would be participating in the process of adopting President Buhari, their counterparts in Edo, Imo, Anambra and Zamfara would be in their states sweating to elect Senatorial, House of Representatives and State Assembly candidates.

They will also be electing governorship candidates in Imo and Zamfara states.

The development is due to the decision of the NWC which severally postponed the primaries in those states only to now fix the exercises for Saturday and Sunday.