- * Behold! The List Of 77 APC Officers Elected At The Convention
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CeleOkaf11
The much expected National Convention of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which began on Saturday March 26, finally ended on Sunday March 27, 2022, at the end of which 77 Officers for different category of party positions were elected to run the affairs of the APC.
Former governor of Nasarawa state and current Senator representing Nasarawa West senatorial district, Senator Adamu Abdullahi, was elected new National Chairman while Hon. Emma Eneukwu, an experienced party administrator and the current National Vice Chairman (South East Zone) emerged Deputy National Chairman (South Region) along with Senator Abubakar Kyari from Borno state who also emerged Deputy National Chairman (North Region).
The election of the new APC Officers was frought with several intrigues over who will eventually make it to the final list of consensus candidates christened "Unity List". Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Abubakar Badaru, made the announcement at about midnight on Convention day on Saturday, after putting the name of Senator Adamu Abdullahi to a voice vote to the seven thousand delegates.
This was after other aspirants for the same National Chairmanship position, namely: Senators George Akume, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, Sani Muhammed and Salihu Mustapha, Mohammed Etsu, Abdulaziz Yari, had announced their voluntary withdrawal from the race.
The news of their withdrawal from the contest however elicited wide applause, merry-making and dancing by delegates and supporters of Senator Adamu Abdullahi, who felt that the coast was now clear for their preferred consensus candidate (Adamu Abdullahi) to emerge as new National Chairman of the party.
Earlier, the Presidency and the Interim Leadership of the Party led by Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, as well as the State Governors of the APC, had ratified the election of the chosen consensus candidates including Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Hon. Emma Eneukwu who was unanimously endorsed for the Deputy National Chairmanship (South) position by the Southern Delegates Coalition Forum and his Northern colleague, Senators Abubakar Kyari and Iyiola Omisore (for National Secretary) including several other aspirants whose names were contained in the ‘unity list.’
However, before the voting of candidates for some offices by delegates started, there were great rumbles and murmuring in different party camps at the Eagle Square Convention venue, especially from those who felt that they had lost out in the rat-race over who ultimately would make the hallowed "Unity List". Some of those in the losing camps who felt insufficiently mollified were muttering threats of a possible fight back in possible ways in which they can upset the consensus arrangement if their interests and those of who they have sympathy for are eventually not accommodated in one way or another.
Some party leaders and heads of the delegates were seen by NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Newspaper moving from camp to camp, assuring some of the aggrieved party delegates and stalwarts that all outstanding issues will be resolved immediately after the convention to the satisfaction of all. Some of the leaders were also assuring the angry delegates that the consensus option was purely to accommodate certain relevant interests in the party so as to ensure that everybody was carried along in the new APC for the sake of internal peace and victory for the party in the coming 2023 general elections.
Initially, most of the pro-Adamu Abdullahi delegates were a bit uncomfortable when feelers emerged at the Convention ground that the main challenger to Adamu (the newly elected National Chairman), Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, was pig-headed about stepping down for Adamu Abdullahi just like the other aspirants had done.
The rumour was that Senator Al-Makura, also a former governor of Nasarawa state like Adamu Abdullahi, was insisting on going ahead for an election in apparent defiance to the party and Presidency's directive or rather agreement on consensus option. But moments later, that fear was however allayed when it was announced that Al-Makura had finally backed down and agreed to withdraw for Senator Adamu Abdullahi for the position of National Chairman.
The same mild acrimony also dogged the party's eminent position of Deputy National Chairman (South) being hotly contested between the former Senate President and an APC Board of Trustee (BoT) member, Chief Ken Nnamani (popularly known as Onwa Enugu, the moon that shines for Enugu People) and Hon. Emma Eneukwu, widely seen as a self-affacing leader but thoroughly experienced in modern party management.
In the Enugu State Delegate Camp where the two renowned political leaders belong, the atmosphere was palpably tense at the Eagle Square Convention ground. While a great majority of the Enugu State Delegates in particular are said to prefer Hon. Emma Eneukwu to represent them in the capacity of Deputy National Chairman of the party, a negligible minority felt otherwise.
But NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Newspaper gathered at the Convention on Saturday that the forces backing the candidature of Hon. Emma Eneukwu was formidable and downright too influential in the party. The case of Senator Ken Nnamani was said to have been worsened by the unanimous affirmation of Emma Eneukwu as their consensus candidate for the job by the Coalition of Southern Delegates Forum.
Early signs of trouble for the former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, showed on the evening of Wednesday last week, when feelers emerged that the Presidency and some powerful interests within the APC have turned the table against him. Nnamani was reported in the media to have made it to the initial list of preferred or annointed candidates said to have earlier been endorsed via a Presidential signature.
But when the pro-Emma Eneukwu forces within the leadership and rank and file of the party went to work in a deft counter-offensive political foot work, it was nunc dimitis for Senator Nnamani. Hon. Emma Eneukwu eventually emerged from the underdog flank and won the trophy against Nnamani. That's the uncertainty and unpredictability of politics!
Jigawa State governor, Abubakar Badaru, later unveiled, at the Convention ground, that the former Senate President, Chief Ken Nnamani, has stepped down for Hon. Emma Eneukwu, for the position of Deputy National Chairman (South). Eneukwu won!
In the camps of delegates from the North, there was a tumult, over, who, between two prominent federal lawmakers, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senator Abubakar Kyari, both of who were jostling for the prime position of Deputy National Chairman (North) of the APC, would emerge.
At the end of their intrigues and political horse trading, Hon. Dogara announced his voluntary withdrawal from the race and endorsed Senator Abubakar Kyari for the position. Following the several appeals from Jigawa governor, Abubakar Badaru, other aspirants like Senator Abubakar Gieri and Sunny Monidafe, equally withdrew from the Deputy National Chairmanship (North) race for Senator Abubakar Kyari.
However, at the end of the Convention exercise, a total of 77 Officers emerged as new the crop of leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The full list of the fresh executives members are as follows:
National Chairman – Senator Abdullahi Adamu: (Nasarawa State)
Deputy National Chairman (North): Sen. Abubakar Kyari (Borno State)
Deputy National Chairman (South): Chief Emma Eneukwu (Enugu State)
National Secretary: Otunba lyiola Omisore (Osun State)
Deputy National Secretary: Festus Fuanter (Plateau State)
National Vice Chairman: (North-Central): Muazu Bawa Rijau (Niger State)
National Vice Chairman (North-East): Mustapha Salihu (Adamawa State)
National Vice Chairman (North-West): Salihu Lukman (Kaduna State)
National Vice Chairman (South-East): Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu (Imo State)
National Vice Chairman (South-South): Chief Hon. Victor Ton Giadom (Rivers State)
National Vice Chairman (South-West): Dr Isaac Kekemeke (Ondo state)
National Legal Adviser: Ahmed El-Marzuk (Katsina State)
National Treasurer: Uguru Mathew Ofoke (Ebonyi State)
National Financial Secretary: Bashir Usman Gumel (Jigawa State)
National Organizing Secretary: Suleiman M Argungu (Kebbi State)
National Youth Leader: Dayo Abdullah Isreal (Lagos State)
National Welfare Secretary: F.N. Nwosu (Abia)
18: National Publicity Secretary: Felix Morka (Delta)
National Auditor: Senator Abubakar Markafi (Bauchi)
National Women’s leader: Dr. Betta Edu (Cross River)
21: Special Persons With Disability(PWD) Leader: Tolu Bankole (Ogun)
22.Deputy National Legal Adviser: Ibrahim Salawu (Kwara)
23: Deputy National Treasurer: Omorede Osifo (Edo)
24: Deputy Financial Secretary : Hamma-Adama Ali Kumo (Gombe)
25:Deputy National Organising Secretary: Hon. Nze Chidi Duru (Anambra)
26: Deputy National Publicity Secretary: Yakubu Murtala Ajaka (Kogi)
- Deputy National Welfare Secretary: Dr Christopher Akpan( Akwa Ibom)
28: Deputy National Auditor: Olufemi Egbedeyi (Oyo)
29: Deputy National Women’s Leader: Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim (Taraba)
Deputy National Youth leader: Jamaludden Kabir (Zamfara)
National Ex-officio (North-Central): Oluwatoyin Opawuye (Kwara)
National Ex-officio (North-East): Sirajo Dabuwa (Bauchi)
33: National Ex-officio (North-West): Aliyu Ahmed Yako (Kano)
34: National Ex-officio (South-East): Hon. Chief Agunwa Anekwe( Anambra), an ex-House of Reps Speaker
National Ex-officio (South-South): Diriwari Akedewei (Bayelsa)
National Ex-officio ( South-West): Mrs Bunmi Oriniowo (Ekiti)
Zonal Secretary (North-Central): Yakubu Mohammed Adamu (FCT)
Zonal Secretary (North-East): Mohammed Wali Shettima (Yobe)
Zonal Secretary (North-West): Barr. Bello Goronyo (Sokoto)
Zonal Secretary (South-West): Vincent Bewaji (Ekiti)
Zonal Secretary (South-East): Azobi Innocent Itapi (Ebonyi)
Zonal Secretary (South-South): Dr Ita Udosen (Akwa Ibom)
Zonal Legal Adviser (North-East): Dauda Chapo (Taraba)
Zonal Legal Adviser (North-Central): Hadiza Aliyu (Kogi)
Zonal Legal Adviser (North-West): Barr.Dauda Usaini Dutse ( Jigawa)
Zonal Legal Adviser (South-West): Ismail Kolawole Majoro (Oyo)
Zonal Legal Adviser (South-East): Mayor Ogbona Ernest (Ebonyi)
Zonal Legal Adviser (South South): NIL
Zonal Organising Secretary (North-East): Abubakar Adamu Musa( Taraba)
Zonal Organising Secretary (North-West): Salisu Uba (Zamfara)
Zonal Organising Secretary (North-Central): Ahmed Attah (Kogi)
Zonal Organising Secretary (South-West): Lateef Ibirogba
53: Zonal Organising Secretary (South-East): Dozie Ikedife (Anambra)
Zonal Organising Secretary (South-South): Blessing Agboma (Edo)
Zonal Publicity Secretary (North-East): Lamido Mohammed (Gombe)
Zonal Publicity Secretary (North-Central): John Okobo (Benue)
Zonal Publicity Secretary (North -West): Musa Makatiya (Zamfara)
Zonal Publicity Secretary (South-East): Augustine Onyedebehi (Imo)
Zonal Publicity Secretary (South-South)
Zonal Publicity Secretary (South-West): Ayo Afolabi
Zonal Women’s leader (North-Central): Oluwatoyin Opawuye (Kwara)
Zonal Women’s leader (North-East): Zainab Abubakar Alman (Gombe)
Zonal Women’s leader (North-West): Hajiya Hadiza Shagari ( Sokoto)
Zonal Women’s leader (South-West): Mrs Yetunde Adesanya (Ogun)
Zonal Women’s leader (South-South): Caroline Owugha (Bayelsa)
Zonal Women’s leader (South-East): Mimi Uchenna Dioke .(Enugu)
Zonal Youth leader (North-Central): Zubairu Aliyu (Kwara)
68: Zonal Youth leader (North-West): Abdulhamid Umar Mohammed (Kano)
Zonal Youth leader (North-East): Jason Baba Kkwaghe (Adamawa)
Zonal Youth leader (South-East): Nkenna Anyalewechi (Abia)
Zonal Youth leader (South-West): Kolade Lawal (Ondo)
Zonal Youth Leader (South-South): Comrade Ebimobowe (Delta). NNL.
