BEVERLY HILLS, June 24, (THEWILL) – About 22 positions including that of the National Chairman of the party, out of the 62 positions for grab at the national level, emerged unopposed at the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday.
The only key positions that were doggedly contested for included that of the National Organizing Secretary, National Woman Leader and National Publicity Secretary.
Others are Deputy National Chairman South and Deputy National Chairman North as the incumbents are being strongly challenged for the posts.
They were therefore pencilled to be decided by the 6,800 delegates drawn from the 36 states of the federation through the ballots because party leaders could not convince some of the aspirants to step down.
Initially there were fears that the exercise would be plagued by distrust and protests, considering the controversies that dominated the build up to the convention.
The 24 APC governors had through several meetings before Saturday succeeded in reducing tension by securing consensus for a number of elective positions when many aspirants withdrew from the contest.
The Chairman of the National Convention Committee, Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State, announced before the commencement of the programme that the positions had been fielded through affirmation.
He mentioned the names of the winners to the hearing of delegates and observers who affirmed the process through voice vote.
Former Governor of Edo state Adams Oshiomhole was the first to be affirmed as national chairman of the party because there was no other contender.
It was announced alongside Alhaji Ibrahim Masari as national welfare officer, Alhaji Tunde Bello as national financial secretary, among others.
There was an expectation that winners for the remaining 42 seats would emerge through the ballot box but there was dramatic turn of events when some of the candidates craved for permission to withdraw from the race shortly before the commencement of voting.
Governor Badaru set the ball rolling by calling the candidates to also mount the rostrum one by one to announce their withdrawals.
Many of them cited intense appeal by party leaders and shortage of time for them to make the desired impact on the fortunes of the party before the 2019 elections as reasons for their withdrawal to reduce acrimony.
Nathaniel Agunbiade withdrew from the race for Babatunde Ogala who emerged National Legal Adviser.
Pius Akinyelure also bowed out of the contest for National Vice Chairman South-West, paving way for the emergence of Pastor Bankole Oluwajana.
Former presidential liaison officer Kashim Imam and Waziri Bulama, an architect, said to be the favourite of some members of the President’s camp, also stepped down for the National Secretary, Mai Bala Buni.
Some of those returned unopposed are Buni; former Ekiti State Governor Niyi Adebayo (Deputy National Chairman); Babatunde Ogala (National Legal Adviser); Pastor Bankole Oluwajana (National Vice Chairman, South- West); Ibrahim Masari (National Welfare Secretary); Jock Alamba (Deputy National Welfare Secretary); Tunde Bello (National Financial Secretary); National Vice-Chairman, North-Central and others.
All the big guns of the All Progressives Congress,(APC) including President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara, all the governors were present as the national convention of the party opened in Abuja.
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