From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Indications that the proposed National Convention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would hold on March 26 emerged, yesterday, with the resumption of sale of nomination forms and training of 250 ushers for the exercise billed for Eagle Square, Abuja.

The party, in a statement, said it would be selling the chairmanship form for N20 million; Deputy National Chairman, N10 million; Zonal Chairman (National Vice Chairman) and other officers for N5 million. While the sale of forms would end on Friday, March 18, screening of aspirants would be held on Saturday, March 19.

Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, had last week taken over the affairs at the APC national headquarters, announcing himself as the replacement of Buni who had headed the CECPC since 2020.

This unsettling development had caused rivalry among APC governors and other stakeholders in the party who declared support for Bello even as they accused the Yobe governor of plotting against the convention.

But Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), yesterday, reclaimed control of the national secretariat of the party.

Though Buni did not show up at the secretariat, secretary of the CECPC, John Akpanudoedehe, arrived the party headquarters around 12 noon to a rousing reception by staff and party officials.

He told newsmen that the situation in the party was grossly misrepresented insisting that the Governor Buni’s-led CECPC was intact.  He said Buni was on his way back to Nigeria after his medical trip and would resume duty immediately. He also said the March 26 proposed national convention was still on course and commended  the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) “for firm guidance in the entire circumstances.”

On the crisis over the party’s national convention, Akpanudoedehe said the APC has engaged a team of senior lawyers to address “a purported court order halting the planned” exercise.

A source at the party told Daily Sun that Buni would resume duty today after returning from his medical trip abroad.

“I can confirm to you that Governor Buni will likely resume at the secretariat tomorrow Wednesday. Every arrangement is in place now to give him a rousing welcome by both secretariat staff and party stakeholders,” said the source..

However, a showdown appear imminent as it was learnt that Niger State Governor, Sani Bello, would  also resume duty to continue in his role as acting chairman.

Representative of the youths in the CECPC, Ismaeel Ahmed, confirmed Bello’s  resumption in a chat with newsmen after a meeting of the Caretaker Committee at the party’s headquarters.

On why Akpanudoedehe, who resumed yesterday, was absent at the caretaker committee meeting, the newly-appointed spokesperson of the party said he could not account for the movement of the party’s chief scribe.

“He does  not speak to me before he comes to the office, he does not speak to me when he is leaving. I am not even aware that he is in the office today. I personally thought he has travelled.”

He added: “We just finished the regular routine meetings of the caretaker committee and I have been mandated to announce that sales of forms have began for all the offices both zonal and national. We expect stakeholders of every zone to meet and decide on certain things since we already released the list of zoning arrangements.”

He said the CECPC agreed  during the meeting that the proposed emergency virtual meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) would  still hold on Thursday despite the rejection by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

On the number of  delegates, he said:  “I don’t know the exact delegates we are expecting but it will be in the neighbourhood of 4,000. You ask if INEC has given us the go ahead to hold the NEC on Thursday and I can tell you that we are going to hold our NEC meeting on Thursday here in the secretariat.

“On the prices for the forms, the position for the chairman has been agreed by the party to be sold at N20 million, National Secretary will go for N10 million, Deputy National Chairman (South and North) will be sold at N10 million. All other NWC positions will be sold at N5 million.

“The NEC positions like non-members of the NCW positions will go for N1 million. All positions of the zonal levels without the position of the National Vice Chairman, which are also members of the NWC will be sold for N500,000.

“That goes with the provisions of women, people living with disabilities which will be 50 per cent of the fees. Convention will still hold March 26, sacrosanct and we are going to be having our NEC meeting on Thursday,” he said.

  However, speaking to newsmen at the secretariat of the party shortly after addressing the 250 selected ushers, chairman convention accreditation of volunteers/diplomats/diaspora/observers sub-committee and Governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje, assured that there was no reason to entertain any fear on the convention holding on the agreed date.

The trainees, 200 young ladies and 50 young men, had settled at the NEC Hall, and were  screened and drilled for hours.