APC Establishes 18 Presidential Primary Sub-Committees 

At its presidential primary election special convention scheduled for June 6 to 8, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has formally launched 18 sub-committees to handle various duties.

News Agency of Nigeria

The committees were launched behind closed doors at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Sunday by Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the party’s National Chairman.

The committees and their members are:

• Finance and Logistics – Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State.
• Accreditation and Decoration – Prince Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun.
• Security and Compliance – Rotimi Akeredolu, Governor of Ondo State.

Co-Chair: Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau (Rtd.), former Minister of Interior.

• Election Planning – Abubakar Bagudu, Governor of Kebbi

Co-Chair: Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo.

• Transportation –Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, Governor of Kano State

Deputy: Dr Ramatu Aliyu, Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory.

• Accommodation – Babagana Zulum, Governor of Borno

Co-Chair: Gboyega Oyetola, Governor of Osun.

• Media and Publicity- Abdullahi Sule, Governor of Nasarawa State
• Medicals – Dr. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment

Co-Chair: Prof. Isaac Adewole, former Minister of Health

• Legal: Abubakar Malami SAN, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
• Venue and Site Servicing: Bello Matawalle, Governor of Zamfara

Co-Chair: Mohammed Bello, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

• Election Appeal – Mai Mala Buni, Governor of Yobe State.
• Hospitality and Welfare – Simon Lalong, Governor of Plateau.

Co-Chair: Hajiya Sadiya Farouq, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.

• Protocols – Aminu Masari, Governor of Katsina State.
• Digital Communications – AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor of Kwara.
• Pre-Convention and Management/ Rapporteur – Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna State.

Co-Chair: Dame Pauline Tallen, Minister of Women Affairs.

• Presidential Screening Appeal – Abubakar Bello, Governor of Niger State.

Co-Chair: Ahmed Wase, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

• Accreditation of Diplomats – Ovie Omo-Agege, Deputy President of the Senate.

Co-Chair: Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The party’s Budget Committee will be chaired by Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, with Minister of Finance Hajiya Zainab Ahmed as co-chair.

Despite the fact that the APC presidential primary poll is scheduled for June 6 to 8, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that delegates would vote for their favourite candidates on June 7.

Meanwhile, delegates have begun to arrive in Abuja ahead of the exercise, with the party’s national secretariat on Blantyre Street in Wuse 2 becoming a hive of activity.

The Eagle Square, the convention’s location, is also putting the finishing touches on its decorations, which include the presidential stage and numerous bleachers.

The podium is also being worked on at the time of this publication.

According to NAN’s investigation, most hotels in Abuja were completely booked ahead of time, and security officers were spotted patrolling the Eagle Square.

A total of 2,340 delegates from the country’s 774 Local Government Areas and Area Councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are scheduled to vote for the APC’s presidential candidate in 2023.

Despite the fact that 23 presidential hopefuls purchased the party’s presidential Expression of Interest and Nomination forms in order to run for president, the presidential screening committee led by John Odigie-Oyegun cleared 13 of them.

President Muhammadu Buhari supported the rotation of power to the southern portion of the country in 2023 during a meal with the party’s presidential candidates on Saturday.

This limited the number of candidates running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2023 to those from the South in the primary.

According to NAN, 11 northern governors issued a statement on Saturday announcing their determination to support a power transfer to the south once President Muhammadu Buhari’s term ends.

“The decision to support power shift to the South is in the greatest interest of the country,” the governors declared, while asking presidential contenders from the northern region to withdraw from the 2023 presidential contest.

As political calculations and calculations continue ahead of the primary election, it is believed that the number of presidential aspirants for the party would be reduced even more.