By Adedayo Akinwale
The National Convention/Extraordinary Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has distanced itself from the zoning list currently circulating ahead of the party’s convention and the 2023 elections.
In the said list, APC 2023 presidential ticket was zoned to the South; the Vice President was zoned to the North; the Senate President to the South; the Deputy Senate President was zoned to the North; while the Speaker of the House of Representatives was zone to the North and the Deputy zoned to the South.
In the said list, the National Working Committee (NWC) positions were also zoned with the position of National Chairman zoned to the North; National Secretary – South; National Treasurer – South; Financial Secretary – North; Legal Officer – North; Welfare Officer-South, Auditor- North; National Youth Leader –South; National Woman Leader – South; Publicity Secretary – South and Persons With Disability PWD Leader – South
Reacting to the zoning list yesterday in a telephone interview with journalists in Abuja, the National Secretary of the Committee, Senator James Akpanudoedehe, said the party leadership would not be pressurised by sentiment to do the wrong thing.
He stated: “People who are interested in running for one office or the other can speculate. As far as I am concerned, the last Caretaker Committee meeting we had, we did not discussed that. That is not what we are concerned with now. What we are concerned with is data collection – how to collect data without making mistakes?
“We are not going to be pressurised by sentiment and we do the wrong thing. Let me say that zoning is not for the Caretaker Committee alone. It has to do with the President; it has to do with other major stakeholders; it has to do with a lot of people.”
The secretary urged the people to disregard the list, adding that the committee was focused on delivering on its mandate.
“I want to mute the speculation. The list is not from us – Caretaker Committee. The President is not in town. There is no way such a decision will be taken without consulting with the President, consulting with the governors and other major stakeholders.”
