Barring any last minute change, the leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have agreed to remove all the names of the outgoing National Officers seeking re-election in the forthcoming National Convention of the party.
It was also gathered Teusday that only the outgoing National Secretary, Mai Mala Buni, has been penciled down to make the said unity list.
This is coming even as some of the aspirants suspecting favourtism in the said consensus list were threatening to cause violence and walkout of the convention if the process are not allowed to be free and fair for all contenders.
Blueprint was reliably informed that the presidency had told the party leaders of his interest in three positions of National Chairman, National Secretary and that of National Organising Secretary.
The President, according to the source, had asked one of his aides to advise the outgoing National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun, National Organising Secretary, Osita Izunazo, not to seek re-election but the incumbent organising secretary, Izunazo rejected the advice.
While also raising alarm over what was described as plot by some members of the outgoing executive to get themselves re-elected, one of the prominent contenders, who pleaded not to be named, said: “We have just been informed that the current NWC has already prepared a unity list of themselves, which they will forward to the APC governors forum on Wednesday for adoption and they will forward same to Mr President for approval.
“This further confirms our position and resolve that impunity is in the pipeline and it will be challenged to the later.”
When contacted to know whether some of the aspirants were part of the zonal consultations ahead of the convention, an aspirant for the office of the National Vice Chairman North-east, Dr. Umar Duhu, said no one has either convened a meeting in his zone nor was he invited for any meeting to discuss anything consensus.
According to him, “it will be laughable to suggest among others that, the meeting of APC Governors slated for Wednesday will produce the so-called unity list without recourse to the aspirants who are the most critical stakeholders.
“Therefore, if some contestants feel loath, humiliated and would be expressing their dissatisfaction by venting their anger resulting from any undemocratic spurns, they will be doing so within their rights as those that genuinely bought forms, screened and have spent resources campaigning.”
Duhu, however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to take charge “so that the APC convention will not become a crying shame under his watch.”
Another aspirant for the office of National Youth Leader who pleaded not to be named said: “any attempt by the party to select some contestants as favourite candidates will be met with serious resistance at the convention venue.”
Findings also revealed that there may be more protests before or during the National Convention on Saturday from some other aspirants across the six geo-political zones over the said ‘unity list’.
