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…heavy security beef up around venue
…as APC volunteers group plead for a peaceful congress
The ruling All Progressives Congress APC convention postponed repeatedly will finally hold today as hospitality business in the Federal Capital Territory FCT boom as delegates scamper for limited accommodation.
There’s also heavy security beef up around the Eagle Square venue as President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to arrive at the venue at about 2.30 pm.
Getting accommodation became herculean as most hotels jerked up their prices by 50percent.
New national and zonal officers of the party will be elected at the convention earlier billed for February 26 but shifted to March 26.
The convention is also expected to approve the amended sections of the party’s constitution and ratify the activities of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).
The party held its ward, local government and state congresses last year.
Over 4,000 delegates from the 36 states of the federation and FCT are expected to attend the convention.
The delegates will elect the 22 members of the National Working Committee (NWC) from the 169 aspirants for various positions to take over the leadership of the nine-year-old party from the CECPC.
The 12-member committee, led by Gov Mala Buni of Yobe State, was constituted on June 25, 2020, after the sack of the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC, to run the party and package a convention within six months. It could not do so until now.
The main attraction of today’s event is the election of a new chairman. Seven members of the party bought the expression of interest and nomination forms to vie for the position.
The main opposition party, PDP apparently sensing that APC might get it right this time had gone to court to demand the convention should be declared illegal and unconstitutional 24hours to the convention.
The APC volunteers group in a statement pleaded for a peaceful convention begging delegates to eschew thuggery and violence.
Read full statement below:
The APC Volunteers Group welcome our highly esteemed delegates, contestants,non delegates and observers to the beautiful Capital city of Nigeria.
We also wish to remind the delegates, contestants and other party members that the convention will come and go,but Nigeria remains.In other words,we should all look beyond the convention,our volting ambition and envision the future of Nigeria, where no man is oppressed,where the culture of democracy is allowed to thrive and the system is allowed to work with the efficiency and precision of a Swiss watch.
The APC Volunteers group (a foremost organization within the APC founded in 2014) viewed with trepidation and anxiety developments within the party in the last three months leading to inconsistencies, unpredictability and policy somersaults as if the APC has no Constitution guiding it’s modus operandi.
Having gone through this period of uncertainty, it is however gladdening that the APC has emerged from the doldrums a more united and stronger party to deliver the dividends of democracy to our people.
It is self evident that the outcome of this March 26th Convention,will to a large extent determine the next level for our great party and the nation that is eagerly waiting for APC to get it’s act together and show the way to go.As the great Zik of Africa would say:”Show the light and the people shall find the way”.
So in similar manner, the APC Volunteers is calling on the APC the largest political party in Africa to show the light and example for all other parties in the country and beyond the shores of Nigeria on how to conduct a party convention without rancor or bitterness.
The March 26 Convention therefore, is a gathering of the best minds and the leading light in Nigeria,there should be no room for thugs, miscreants and other undesirable elements in society disrupting the smooth conduct of the convention, this again calls for the visible presence of securities whose intervention and crowd control mechanism will go a long way in ensuring a hitch free convention.
Meanwhile the APCV salute the hardworking convention planning committee for the great work they are doing to make the convention a huge success.
Our fervent prayer in APCV is that the government of the people,by the people and for the people will not perish in our time.