APC presidential convention: What you need to know about di primary

Di All Progressives Congress (APC) don set to conduct dia presidential primary election for di ogbonge special convention wey go hold for di Eagle Square, Abuja for Tuesday and Wednesday, June 7-8, 2022.

According to di programme of event dem release, di election go happun from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

23 presidential aspirants of di party dey battle for who go be di party flag bearer for di 2023 general election.

Dem dey engage for last-minute political scheming to woo di party delegates to vote for dem as tok-tok about consensus candidate still dey spread.

President Muhammed Buhari meet wit di 20 govnors of di party and oda party stakeholders to urge dem to work and search for di right candidate wey go succeed am.

Di party screening committee don screen all di aspirants and therefore don set di stage for di convention to hold.

Di Chairman of di party presidential screening committee, John Oyegun wen e dey submit dia report to di party national leaders say na only 13 candidates dem shortlist and dat 10 pesins no make di list.

But di National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, say despite di screening report, all candidates go battle am out for di convention.

Political Consultation/Consensus candidate ahead of primaries

Different political actors don begin meet for high level consultation to get candidate wey go represent di party.

Recently, northern govnors come out wit dia own position and ask di party to zone di presidential ticket to di south and ask all di northern contestants to step down.

Southern leaders of di party and di aspirants also don meet and dey move to agree on one candidate fail.

Southern govnors however appeal to northern aspirants to abeg step down.

Dis consensus move don dey create tension for di ruling party as some of di aspirants dey adamant to di move.

According to di Electoral Act, all di candidates must agree to step down for one of dem before dem go arrive for consensus. But if dat no happun, all of dem go battle am for di primaries.

Who be dis aspirants dem

Despite di 100 million cost of di APC expression of Interest and nomination form to be president, 28 pesins buy di form but at di end of di day, some aspirants withdraw from di race.

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele; Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige; President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina and Minister of State, Petroleum, Timpire Sylva na some of dem.

Dis na di 23 aspirants wey still dey in di race for di high office.

· Former Lagos State governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu

· Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo

· Former Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun

· Pastor Tunde Bakare

· Ekiti State Govnor Kayode Fayemi

· Senator representing Ondo North, Robert Ajayi Boriffice

· Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole

· Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi

· Former Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs Godswill Akpabio

· Entrepreneur, Tein Jack Rich

· Cross Rivers State Governor Ben Ayade

· Former Science/Tech Minister Ogbonaya Onu

· Mr Chukuwemeka Nwajiuba

· Govnor of Ebonyi State Dave Umahi

· Former Imo State Govnor Rochas Okorocha

· Former Senate President Ken Nnamani

· Honourable Nicholas Felix Nwagbo

· Chief Ikeobasi Mokelu

· Ms Uju Ohanenye

· President of the Senate Ahmad Lawan

· Kogi State Govnor, Yahaya Bello

· Jigawa State Govnor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar and

· Former Zamfara State Govnor Ahmed Sani Yarima

How delegates go vote for di national convention

As e be now, na only elected national and Ad hoc delegates dey qualify to vote for di National Convention to elect di party presidential flagbearer.

Dis na sake of say president Muhammadu Buhari neva sign di amended electoral act

Dem pick di delegates through congresses for ward level across di kontri from di 774 local goment and each of di local goment go produce three delegates each.

 If you add dat to 3 from the six Federal Capital Territory Area Councils, you go get 2,340.

If di party stance for consensus no work, e mean say di delegates go vote using di ballot papers.

Usually dem di arrange di delegates base on dia states and wen dia turn reach to vote, dem go file out wit dia ballot papers and cast dia votes for dia choice aspirant.

Challenges Ahead of di party convention

Di political gbege wey greet APC primaries across di states as political actors fight to grab di state party structure, don create plenti bad bele for di party.

Plenti party members dey aggrieved and dat one don create plenti factions, multiple factions, poor internal democratic processes.

Days to di party presidential primary, some members of di party National Working Committee raise alarm say di party national chairmo say e dey run tins alone and no dey cari along di rest of di party national leaders.

Senator Abdullahi Adamu apologise to di party leaders and say e change but dis one also show di visible crack for di party leadership.

Consensus Candidate

Despite di task wey di president give di govnor, dem neva fit arrive for any particular pesin.

Di govnors dem dey divided along ethnic consideration and dia interest.

Many political party pipo don ask di president make e no choose any candidate but leave am make everibodi go through di democratic process and make di best candidate win.

Some political analysts don argue say any attempt to impose any candidate fit deepen di party internal crisis and fit affect di party outcome for 2023.

Wetin be di task ahead of di candidate

Any pesin wey go win di primaries gatz hit di ground running as plenti work dey ground for am.

According to political sabi pesin Ibim Semennitari, any pesin wey become di party flagbearer need to explain to Nigerians wetin di party go do differently since many Nigerians no dey happy wit governance at di moment.

E say Nigerians want vivid roadmap dis time and not tok-tok.

She explain say anoda task ahead of di candidate na to unify kontri pipo.

She further explain say di candidate must be pesin wey go inspire hope among Nigerians.

How Secure Eagle Square go dey?

Di FCT Police Command say dem don deploy large number of police officers around di Eagle Square, venue of APC presidential primaries.

Di command for statement say sake of di convention, dem go deploy security also across di capital to ensure di protection of lives and property.

Di police took tok pesin, Josephine Adeh for statement say dem go put counter insurgency measure, dem go do robust stop and search for strategic point around di suburbs and officers on ground, go do crowd control.

She also say dem go divert traffic for different strategic locations for di capital.