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The decision of the national caucus of the All Nigeria Peoples
Party (ANPP) to shift the party’s national convention has worsen the crisis in
the party. Members who arrived Abuja for the two day event only to find that a
new date has been slated for the event, were bitter about the shift. The
convention was earlier scheduled to hold today and tomorrow.

However, the caucus, at its meeting in Asokoro, Abuja, home of
the party’s national chairman, Edwin Ume-Ezeoke, on Wednesday shifted the
convention to late August. It was the third time the party would postpone the
event in the last two months.

The postponement was at the instance of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), which reportedly said the convention did not meet
the provisions of the 2006 Electoral Act, which mandated every party organising
its convention to give the commission 21 days notice. Yet that explanation had
not doused the anger and protests of members over the postponement.

The National Director of Publicity, Sabo Muhammad confirmed the
postponement but did not give further details. He merely said that the
convention committee was going to meet again to pick another date in line with
INEC’s demand.

One of the chairmanship aspirants, John Odigie-Oyegun also
confirmed the postponement and attributed the development to the insistence of
the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that it be given adequate
notice.

Some members of the party however claimed that apart from the
commission’s request, the clash of interests among the party stalwarts was
responsible for the shift in date.

At the ANPP national secretariat located in the Central Business
District of the federal capital, some officials, including the 36 state
chairmen of the party, were heard complaining bitterly about the fresh
postponement and the zoning formula agreed upon two nights ago.

Working at cross purposes

Some of them, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they
were fed up with the frequent postponements of the convention to elect new
national officers. “We’re tired of this postponement and we are also saying
this zoning formula cannot work,” chairman of the party in one of the
south-south states said.

“The shift in the date of the convention has yet revealed our
unpreparedness to wrest power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),”
another said.

The caucus had agreed to retain the zoning of the chairmanship of
the party to the south east geo-political zone while the secretary to the north
east geo-political zone and presidential candidate in the 2011 elections would
come from the northern part of the country.

It was learnt that the event was shifted following the power play
involving two of the party’s three state governors as well as a senator, Ahmad
Sani over who should succeed Mr Ume-Ezeoke whose tenure expires next month.

According to our source, the Borno State governor, Ali Modu Sherriff
and Mr Sani are up in arm against the Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau,
who they alleged is plotting to take over the party’s structure at the national
level.

Messrs Sheriff and Sani are said to be opposed to the candidacy
of Harry Akande, who is reportedly favoured by Mr Shekarau to assume the
chairmanship position.

Mr Akande is contesting against three other southerners, namely
Odigie-Oyegun, Emmanuel Eneukwu and George Moghalu.

A source said the Borno chief executive and the senator, said to be
backing Mr Odigie-Oyegun and Moghalu respectively, are worried that the success
of Mr Akande at the convention would amount to the Kano State governor
hijacking the party from them.

Mr Shekarau has already indicated his interest to run for the
presidency. Mr Ume-Ezeoke, whose emergence as chairman was made possible by Mr
Sani and the former Governor of Kebbi State, Adamu Aliero in 2006, is backing
Mr Eneukwu for the chairmanship seat against the choice of the Borno State
governor and the senator.