The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, yesterday, admonished that the party must reconcile all aggrieved members across the country to ensure electoral victory in the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
This came as President Muhammadu Buhari urged delegates to chose a candidate that has the vision, passion and experience to move the nation forward.
He also harped on the need for reconcilliation and unity in the party.
According to him, Nigeria cannot afford to go into the grip of the PDP which would further drag it backwards.
Adamu urged members of the APC to put their house in order if the party must survive beyond 2023, saying the party is supreme to individual or group interests.
According to him, the outcome of the convention would determine its electoral victory.
He gave the warning in his remarks at the opening of the National Convention at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
Those who attended the convention were President Muhammadu Buhari and his wife, Aishat, Speaker of the House Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. Other chieftains and stakeholders were governors, members of the National Assembly, 23 presidential aspirants supporters.
Meanwhile, after days of intrigues, suspense, horse-trading, claims and counter-claims, the much-postponed Special Convention held amidst tight security and suspense.
Former Lagos State governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was the first to address the over 2,000 delegates, got an early boost as he secured the backing of six aspirants.
Former Akwa Ibom State governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, opened the flood gate, when at 10:05pm, he directed his supporters to vote for Asiwaju Tinubu. This was followed by Ibikunle Amosun and Kayode Fayemi within a span of 10 minutes when they also directed their supporters to vote Tinubu.
The former Ogun State governor, who said his decision was in the spirit of consensus-building, thanked the northern APC governors for their resolution to push for the return of the presidency to the Southern part of the country.
After his initial remarks, former speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, returned to the podium to announce his withdrawal for Tinubu because “I too want to grow old.”
Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Governor Mohammed Badaru of Jigawa State and Mrs. Uju Ken-Ohanenye, only woman in the race also stepped down for Tinubu.
•Onu, Nnamani cry of injustice to South East
The cry of injustice resonated among South East aspirants with former Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, former minister of state for education, Emeka Nwajiuba and Ken Nnamani, making a strong case for an Igbo candidate in the interest of justice, fairness and equity.
Onu said it was only proper for the APC to rotate power to the South East considering that it is the only zone yet to produce a president of the country. He said the ruling party must factor his contributions to the party and ensure his zone is fairly treated in the scheme of things in the party.
He said: “Everybody in this party knows the role I played in bringing the party to be. Mr. President, what is important is that we must ensure that justice is upheld. We need someone from the South East to replace him (Buhari). The South West had had eight years of presidency and another eight years of vice presidency. Where is the justice for South East? We need to do what is right.”
Former Senate president, Nnamani also decried the abandonment of the true spirit of zoning in the party by ignoring the South East. He said the party would have achieved a lot of mileage by rotating power to the only zone in the south yet to produce a president.
Their position came even as the issues of insecurity, poverty, infrastructure and unity of the country, dominated the speeches of the presidential aspirants.
Former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and Nwajiuba, had earlier in the day, dismissed insinuations that they were no longer in the race.
They were reacting to claim by former governor of Kano State, Kabiru Gaya, that the competition had been narrowed between Asiwaju Tinubu and Prof. Osinbajo. Amaechi and Nwajiuba dismissed the claim, describing it as untrue and fake, just as they said Gaya was on his own. They stuck to their gun in spite of the gale of support for Tinubu.
While Dr. Felix Nicholas, 40, withdrew and directed his supporters to vote for Prof. Osinbajo at the convention, Jack-Rich Tein, Governor Yahaya Bello and Pastor Tunde Bakare expressed their resolve to go into the election. In fact, Bakare said he was set to emerge the 16th Nigerian president while Governor Yahaya Bello, who was hailed as White Lion boasted that he had the ability to win the presidential poll before 2pm.
In spite of jeers from the crowd, Ike-Obasi Mokelu also asked the delegates to vote for him.
•Promises
Former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said he is the unifier that Nigeria currently needs as president to reposition the country. He boasted that he has the magic wand to turn things around.
Promising to replicate his achievements as governor of Lagos State, he promised to make Nigeria one of the strongest economy in the world.
On his part, Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, claimed that he is more qualified than other aspirants, insisting that parliamentarians are ruling the developed economy.
“We are making history today. The APC is making history. This is a special event to elect the person to fly the party’s flag for next year’s election. President Buhari has done so much for the party and has laid the foundation and we are very proud of that. He has provided leadership including when we thought the situation has become hopeless.
“I am running for the office of the president because I believe that this party has been built well around ideals that all of us will share. Despite the difficulties in the world, we have put in place mechanisms to ensure we did not feel it.
“We have dealt with insurgency in the North East even though we still have some small challenges, we will still deal with banditry.
“To the delegates, I appeal to you to look very closely to ensure we elect someone that can consolidate on our achievements in the past seven years. I have wealth of legislative experience and I am eminently qualified and as you know, most developed democracies are governed by parliamentarians. The present and past US Presidents are of parliamentary backgrounds.
“I have acquired sufficient legislative experiences working closely with President Buhari and if you elect me, I will consolidate on those experiences,” he noted.
Former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, said that he is more qualified than other aspirants, arguing that he is the only aspirant that is self made while others were made by government.
“I depend on the people and the delegates to be elected. Power is a trust to be used for the benefit of the common man. I urge you to search your conscience so that you will not go back to perpetual poverty.
“My heart is still bleeding for the victims of insurgence. Destiny has bestowed on you the delegates to decide who becomes the president but don’t sacrifice it on the altar of temptation for money. Let me say that government made every aspirant, but I remain the one who made and created wealth before joining government,” he said.
Senator Sani Ahmed Yerima who also spoke on insecurity said if elected, his administration would strengthen the recruitment of more personnel and procure more equipment for various organizations.
Governor Dave Umahi said with what he had done in Ebonyi, he has proved that with little resources, a leader can achieve a lot.
He said as a civil engineer, he would use his wealth of experience to cause an agricultural revolution in the nation and urged the delegates to vote for him based on his track records.
Prof. Osinbajo told the delegates that their votes carry the answer to their prayers for and for the future of their children.
His speech received wild applause.
•Jigawa delegate slumps, dies
A delegate from Jigawa State, Isah Baba-Buji, slumped and died while taking his breakfast in Abuja.
APC spokesperson in Jigawa, Bashir Kundu, who confirmed the incident said the official was pronounced dead while taking his breakfast and preparing to move to the venue of the convention.
Sources said he died of heart failure.
At press time, Mr. Kundu said Mr Baba-Buji’s body was being prepared to be conveyed back to Jigawa State for burial rites.
He was the APC vice chairman for Jigawa South-west.
•EFCC storm Eagle Square, journalists barred, teargassed
Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) stormed the Eagle Square. The officials went round the convention venue before finally they took strategic positions.
However, the officials who were dressed in their official jackets and some in mufti, refused to speak when confronted.
EFCC officials had made similar appearance at the PDP Special Convention in Abuja on May 28, without making any arrest.
Meanwhile, dozens of journalists accredited for the coverage were barred by the security agents who claimed to be acting on orders from the above.
Canisters of tear gas were fired at the journalists by the security agents who stood their ground on preventing the journalists even with their accreditation tags.
In spite of their accreditation tags, they were not only refused entry into the convention venue, but were tear-gassed and manhandled by security operatives.
However, Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary has apologised to the journalists. He was called on phone by one of the accredited journalists to address the situation.
•Security agents arrest handset thieves
Security agents arrested three suspected handset snatchers at the entrance of the Special Convention venue, after they snatched a journalist’s cellphone.
The suspects who were gorgeously dressed took advantage of the commotion at the gate of Eagle Square, venue of the convention to snatch the handset from the journalist’s pocket.
The journalist, name withheld raised an alarm after he discovered his phone was missing, attracting the attention of the security agents who rushed to the scene immediately.
But the missing phone could not be found even after a search on the three suspects, as they had thrown the cellphone under a nearby security vehicle.
An eagle-eyed officer, however, salvaged the situation as he sighted the phone under the vehicle, leading to the arrest of the suspects.
Security agents had in March arrested three suspected pickpockets at APC National Convention in Abuja.
The police had also arrested 10 pickpockets at the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Special Convention at the National Stadium on May 28.
•Traders made brisk business
It was a happy day for traders as the made brisk business at the Eagle Square.
The traders include itinerant food vendors, restaurant operators, sellers of foot wears, cellphones and accessories, bottled water and point of sales (POS) operators, among others.
Mallam Musa Isyaku, trader from Kano, said he was in Abuja to market clothing materials and make as much money as he could.
“I am hoping to make huge sales and realise a lot of profit, then go back and feed my family well,” he said.
Mrs Rebecca Daniel, bottled water seller, who confessed that she made huge sales and a lot of money said, “we are also here to contribute to the success of the exercise.”