President Muhammadu Buhari will today hold a high-stake meeting with all presidential aspirants, Governors, National Assembly leaders and the All-Progressive Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) members.
The meeting, according to sources is to deliberate on how to ensure smooth primaries, as well as to find a common ground among the aspirants jostling for different positions ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“The President will meet with the aspirants a few days to the primary with a view to ensuring that there is unity and harmony. He will also meet with the governors separately. The date is not fixed yet, but it should be this week if INEC doesn’t extend the deadline for the primary as we are all hoping,” said an APC chieftain who wished to remain anonymous.
Meanwhile, uncertainties have continued to trail the screening of presidential candidates on the platform of the ruling party.
Recall that the party postponed the screening of presidential aspirants for the second time on Sunday.
Consequently, APC National Organising Secretary, Suliaman Arugungu, on Sunday stated that the screening earlier slated for Monday, May 23, 2022, will now hold on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the party Felix Morka confirmed that the exercise had been put on hold, adding that a new date will be announced as soon as a date is agreed upon.
He said: “I issued a statement on the exercise yesterday. The screening of presidential aspirants is on hold. It is not holding on Tuesday. I will announce the new date as soon as a decision is reached to that effect.”
The National Working Committee (NWC) will present the list of members of the Presidential Screening Committee to President Muhammadu Buhari today (Tuesday).
It was reported that the Organising Directorate of the party had compiled the list of members of the Presidential Screening Committee (PSC) and committees to handle the three primaries slated for Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
It was gathered that the committees were ratified by NWC at its meeting yesterday. Also, the NWC resolved that the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu should present the list of the committees to the President before making it public.
The NWC approved a revised Timetable/Schedule of Activities for Governorship, State House of Assembly, Senate and House of Representatives Primaries.
A statement by Morka said state delegates will elect governorship candidates on Thursday, while House of Assembly candidates will be elected by local government delegates on the same day.
The senatorial primary will hold on Friday and the House of Representative’s shadow election earlier slated for May 26, will hold at federal constituency headquarters on Saturday.
The statement said the presidential primary will be held as scheduled on Sunday.
