The Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has distanced itself from a zoning arrangement list in circulation.
The zoning arrangement for major national elective offices and for positions in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) allegedly released by the party went viral on social media.
The purported arrangement was titled: “BREAKING: APC announces zoning arrangement ahead of 2023 election year. APC 2023 presidential ticket zoning and National Working Committee.”
By the list the presidential ticket is zoned to South, Vice President – North, Senate President – South, Deputy Senate President – North while Speaker – North and Deputy Speaker – South.
For the National Working Committee zoning, the list showed that the north will produce the National Chairman, National Secretary – South, National Treasurer – South, Financial Secretary – North, Legal Officer – North and Welfare Officer – South.
The office of the Auditor is zoned to North, National Youth Leader – South, National Woman Leader – South, Publicity Secretary – South and Persons With Disability PWD Leader – South.
But the Secretary of the Caretaker Committee of the party, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe disowned the list.
He said: “Our people should disregard the list. It is not from the Caretaker Committee, it is not from the party.”
He maintained the party will required to make extensive consultations before such arrangement would be arrived at, adding zoning of offices is yet to be on the table of the Caretaker Committee.
“As far as I am concerned, the last Caretaker Committee meeting we had, we did not discussed that. That is not what we are concerned with now. What we are concerned with is data collection. How to collect data without making mistake.
“Let me say that zoning is not for the Caretaker Committee alone. It has to do with the President, it has to do with other major stakeholders, it has to do with a lot of people.
“I want to mute the speculation. The list is not from us ( Caretaker Committee). The President is not in town.
“There is no way such decision will be taken without consulting with the President, consult with the governors and other major stakeholders.”
He blamed the list on circulation on individuals interested in contesting for one office or the other in the party, insisting the Caretaker Committee cannot be pressurised into taking wrong decision.
