Buhari, APC Governors To Make Igbo Leader New APC Chairman

TRACKING___The search for a new national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has begun in earnest, and the party has four months to fill the position at its national convention.

Leading the search are some governors and leaders of the party, including close political associates of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Party sources hinted on Saturday that the new chairman being sought may emerge from the South-East, and a character considered as a leader among the Igbos.

The objective is to create a sense of balance in the party and assuage the feelings of the people of the zone, some of whom often accuse the party of marginalising them.

The person so chosen will replace Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

It was also gathered that the ongoing rebuilding of the party by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee may also entail the dissolution of State Executive Committees of APC in states where the party is factionalised.

Some governors are said to be pushing for a nationwide dissolution of State Executive Committees (SECs) in all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, although there are fears that APC may become more divided and plunge into a fresh crisis.

Investigation by our correspondent revealed that the South-South may have lost out in the bid to retain the chairmanship of the APC.

Of the three zones in the South, the South-West and the South-South produced the first three national chairmen of the party, namely Chief Bisi Akande (South-West); Chief John Odigie-Oyegun (South-South) and Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (South-South).

All the past chairmen were former civilian governors from different parties.

Findings however showed that some governors and some leaders of the party have started leaning towards the ceding of the national chairman slot to the South-East.

Although the choice may be left open to the South-East, investigation revealed that a former President of the Senate, Senator Ken Nnamani, is top on the list of those being considered by some governors.

Nnamani is a member of the Caretaker Committee of the party.

As Senate President, he resisted the Third Term agenda of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Some governors however favour the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, who was once a governor and ex-National Chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) which merged with others to form APC.

The Minister is rated as “a man of fidelity” with rich experience in party politics.

A top source who is privy to the undercurrents in the party said: “The affected governors and leaders want a break from the South-West and the South-South in choosing the next national chairman.”

The source painted the picture of the next chairman as one who must be:
A strong character with a sense of fairness, equity and justice
A true democrat in spirit and action
Possess an effective leadership style which will make all the organs to function as enshrined in the APC constitution
Capable of leading and sustaining the party beyond the vision of the founding fathers of APC.

The source said: “So far, the search for a new national chairman of APC has started.

“Governors and leaders of the party are already considering different names, but the most recurring are Nnamani and Onu.

“Since we still have about four months to the convention, the first step being taken is to build a consensus on the need for the South-East to produce the next chairman. This is the only geopolitical zone in the South that is least represented in government and in the party.

“Some leaders in the party are uncomfortable with the South-East because its contributions to APC’s performances in 2015 and 2019 were insignificant…”