From Adetutu Folasade-Koyi, Abuja

Serving and former governors  of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have tightened their grip on party structures in their states ahead of elections leading to the national convention.

The APC national convention is expected to elect a National Working Committee (NWC) which would conduct the primary to select the party’s flag bearer for the 2023.

Daily Sun gathered that three former governors of the party are deep in the trenches, criss-crossing the country, to garner support for their ambitions to serve as national chairman whenever the national convention holds.

It was also learnt that two former governors from the North Central and two from the North West have placed their cards on the table and are covertly canvassing for support from the party leadership in Abuja and across the states.

One of the  former governors hinged his lobby for the national chairmanship position on the fact that it was irrelevant that he comes from the same zone as the president, the North West.

Sources privy to the lobby said the former governor told those who cared to point this out that, in 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari would have concluded his two terms in office and “the argument about coming from the North West would be irrelevant.”

His major challenge, however, remains the lack of home support for his ambition because the sitting governor, a new entrant in the APC, has been handed control of the party structure in the state.

To compound the problem, his predecessor is also eyeing the same position and was privy to the deal that brought the sitting governor into the APC.

Also, another former governor from the North Central has had to double down on his ambition because of financial crimes allegations against him.

Meanwhile, there is discontent in some states where some serving governors and former governors now co-habit in the APC.

A source told Daily Sun that old APC members “particularly in states where we don’t have sitting governors, where ministers and high-ranking members of the federal cabinet were in charge, are now feeling threatened with the new members, particularly sitting governors, former governors and political heavyweights.

“Hitherto, the old members were in charge, but, with the entry of new members, who have political capital to deploy for APC, there is discontent from the old guard. In most of our state chapters, where we have governors who have joined the party as new leaders, we have to navigate carefully and that is why we still have to look towards Abuja for balance before we can even set a date for the national convention.”

In all of these, the old guard and the new entrants are not ready to shift grounds which has now shifted the battle for control to Abuja.

Still rankled by the legal opinion of Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, on the split Supreme Court ruling on Ondo State governorship suit, the APC leadership has decided to report him to President Muhammadu Buhari.

While some members of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Commitee (CECPC) are pushing for “stiff sanctions” against Keyamo, others are insisting that the matter be formally placed before the President upon his return from the United Kingdom before “moving forward on how to sanction the minister.”

“He’s not just an ordinary member. He is a member of the Federal Executive Council and we are waiting for Mr. President to return from his trip. We will table his matter before the President and we will be guided on the way forward.”