TheCable

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied zoning its national chairmanship position to the north-central.

The ruling party said this in reaction to reports that it has zoned the position to the zone.

Speaking with reporters on Monday in Abuja, John Akpanudoedehe, national secretary of the APC caretaker committee, said zoning positions are not part of the mandate of the committee’s panel.

Akpanudoedehe said since President Muhammadu Buhari has endorsed the national convention for February 2022, it is normal for there to be speculations.

“I have the mandate to report that whatever decision the CECPC takes and to the best of my knowledge the committee has not discussed zoning,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“People are just flying what will favour their interest, all I know is that the caretaker committee has not discussed or reached a zoning decision.”

Meanwhile, Victor Lar, media director of the Ali Modu Sheriff campaign organisation, also dismissed the speculation.

“We find the purported story as very laughable because the organs of the party that are supposed to communicate that kind of information are not the ones communicating it,” the media director was quoted as saying.

“For that reason, we will take it with a pinch of salt. The APC as a party has never adopted zoning, therefore, the story of it zoning the national championship to the north-central can better be described as a figment of the imaginations of those who planted it.

“We find the report to be very poor scheming of people who are scared of contesting the position with Sheriff.”

“Though we had commended the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) for taking the initiative to meet with Buhari on the need for the party’s national convention to be conducted.

“The decision to hold the convention in February 2022 has to be taken by the party’s NEC. The president does not have the constitutional powers to call for a meeting;

“Neither do the governors elected on the party’s platform. It is only the party’s NEC that can take such a decision as regards to when its national convention will be held.

“The February date must therefore be ratified by the party’s NEC to make it constitutional.”