APC selects new candidates to fill roles of Deputy National Chairman, Legal Adviser, Others

The APC has selected new candidates to fill the roles of Deputy National Chairman, Legal Adviser, and Others.

Pictures show Ganduje presiding over the first meeting of the NWC as APC Chairman.
Following nominations from zonal and state chapters, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is prepared to announce the names of those who would fill open posts in the National Working Committee (NWC), barring any last-minute modifications.

According to Naija News, former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje took over as national chairman of the party last week, and Senator Ajibola Basiru took over as national secretary. This followed the resignations of their predecessors, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Iyiola Omisore.

In addition to Saliu Lukman, who served as the Vice Chairman (Northwest), and Ahmad El-Marzup, who served as the Legal Adviser, both of whom resigned from their positions, two members of the NWC, Senator Abubakar Kyari and Dr. Beta Edu, were nominated by President Bola Tinubu to serve as ministers, and a third member passed away.

According to The Nation, the new officers who are awaiting ratification by the National Executive Committee (NEC) are the following: the former Cross River State Commissioner for Local Government, Dr. Stella Odey-Ekpo (Women Leader); the Borno State APC Chairman Ali Dalori (Deputy National Chairman, North); the former Nasarawa State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice Prof. Abdulkarim Kana (Legal Adviser); the former Abia, State House of Assembly Speaker Martins

Yesterday, it came to our attention that the decision to fill the positions is in accordance with the instruction of the National Executive Committee (NEC).

A party source commented on the move, saying that following the transfer of power from the NEC to the NWC at its meeting on August 3, the NWC issued a directive to the administrative organ to fill the vacant positions. In accordance with the directive, the States Executive Committee, which was responsible for producing the former officers, nominated candidates for the vacant positions.

Article 31.5 of the APC Constitution, which outlines the procedures, was used to zone the seats, as the source claims, before the April 2022 National Convention. This was done in accordance with the constitution of the APC.

The following is an excerpt from Article 31.5(i): “In the event of a National/Zonal Officer, the State Executive Committee shall propose a replacement to the State Congress and Zonal Executive Committee for endorsement. After that, the name will be submitted for consideration to the National Working Committee, which will then transmit it on to the National Executive Committee for final approval.

According to some sources, the Borno State chapter and the Northeast Executive Committee therefore chose Dalori as Deputy National Chairman (North), replacing Kyari in the position.

The nomination of Odey-Ekpo to succeed Edu as the National Women’s Leader came from the chapter representing the state of Cross Rivers.

It was learned that following extensive deliberations with the six states in the region, it was decided that Nasarawa State would be given preference to select a replacement for El-Marzuq, who quit the previous week. This comes as the job of National Legal Adviser has now been assigned to the North Central region.

Also, Azubuike will take the place of Friday Nwosu, who served as the National Welfare Secretary but passed away in March.

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Before reversing his decision, the newly appointed Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ajaka, had resigned from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in order to run for governor under the banner of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

However, according to the source, the Northwest has not yet decided who would take Lukman’s place in the position.

“Since NEC directed NWC to fill the remaining vacant six positions after the emergence of the new National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and Senator Ajibola Basiru as National Secretary, concerned state chapters and zones have been forwarding names for the new officers to fill the vacant positions,” said a member of the NWC who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

“As of today (Wednesday), names for the replacement of five of the six vacant positions have been forwarded to the party for consideration and approval by NWC. There are a total of twelve positions that are now unfilled. It is envisaged that the committee (NWC) would soon reveal the names of the individuals who will occupy the open posts very soon.”