BEVERLY HILLS, September 11, (THEWILL) – The All Progressives Congress (APC) has given conditions to state chapters of the party on the modalities for producing consensus candidates for elective positions.
In a statement by Yekini Nabena, the acting National Publicity Secretary, the party stated that consensus does not foreclose Direct or Indirect Primaries for all elective positions adding that consensus will apply when no other aspirant signifies interest in the position.
“The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to announcements of consensus candidates for elective positions in some states,” the statement read.
“It is therefore pertinent to make some clarifications to enlighten Party faithful on the procedure for nominating candidates.
“While consensus is provided for by the Party’s Constitution, the option is conditional.
“Consensus does not foreclose Direct or Indirect Primaries for all elective positions as contained in the resolution of the 6th meeting of the Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
“Again, consensus will apply when no other aspirant signify interest (i.e. through purchase of nomination forms) for the position in question.”
THEWILL recalls that there has been consensus arrangement in a number of state chapters of the party.
In Ogun State, for example, Hon. Adekunle Akinlade, was picked on Saturday and formally presented as the party’s consensus governorship candidate to Governor Ibikunle Amosun at an expanded meeting witnessed by major stakeholders from the three senatorial districts of the state.
The party also chose the Commissioner for Agriculture, Adepeju Adebajo, as deputy governorship candidate and unveiled 38 other consensus candidates for elective offices, including Ogun Central senatorial seat, which Amosun is aspiring to occupy.
“In all our positions, we are going to have consensus candidates. We are going to make available our list, including our deputy governor. All our leaders are aware, we have sat, we are going to announce, anybody that wants to do any other thing, they are free,” Amosun said.
“The day that the national body of the APC has set for the primaries, we will be waiting for them. Let them come. So we will do the primaries. We have said we are having consensus. We have done the consensus, we have arrived at the candidates, not just for the governorship, we have arrived at all the 40 candidates in Ogun State.
“We have 26 Assembly members, nine House of Reps members, three Senatorial members, deputy governor and the governor. We are going to display the names of the 40. Anybody that is not in agreement, we are not going to say he is not a member of our party, they will come and try, that is the beauty of democracy.”
Similarly, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State also met with leaders of the party on Saturday to pick consensus governorship and other elective candidates.
Ajimobi said the essence of the meeting, particularly those aspiring to be governor was to appeal to some of them to possibly step down and avoid waste of resources. He stated that it would be wrong to encourage governorship aspirants to waste 22.5 million naira on nomination forms without emerging as the candidate.
“Monday is the last day to obtain the governorship nomination form. We don’t want all our aspirants to collect the form and waste their resources when we can talk to them.
“All of them are qualified, with intimidating profiles, but only one of them will emerge. We can still ensure everyone is engaged in one area or the other for them to partake,” he said.
However, the National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole could be heading for a public spat with his home state governor, Godwin Obaseki, on the issue of consensus candidature as the Edo State chapter of the APC is pushing for a consensus arrangement against Oshiomhole’s injunction for the use of direct primaries for the selection exercise.
Already, Obaseki has started meeting stakeholders and leaders of the party in view of picking consensus candidates making it clear of his preference for consensus arrangement instead of acrimonious primaries which most times end up in chaos.
While Obaseki is tasked with selecting consensus candidates for Edo South and Central senatorial districts, the party national leader, Oshiomhole, has been mandated to handle that of his home base, Edo North senatorial district.
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