Indications emerged, today, that a top leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, may have made moves to alter the delegates’ list in favour of a northern presidential aspirant ahead of the primary.

It was gathered that the alerting of the delegates’ list was aimed at shutting out southern presidential aspirants in favour of the north.

A source fingered a leader of the party at the centre of the alleged move.

The source, who accused the APC leader of being a “northern irredentist”, disclosed that governors elected on the party platform are making moves to checkmate him.

The source said: “The National Chairman of the party is still pushing for a northern candidate and that is why he is pushing for the Senate President, Senator Ahmad Lawan. And that is why Lawan has refused to withdraw from the race.

Adamu is the one pushing President Muhammadu Buhari to anoint a candidate. He is a northern irredentist and I am sure the governors will checkmate him.”

We’re worried – CNN

Corroborating the allegation, an advocacy group, Compass for New Nigeria, CNN, said that reports reaching its secretariat, claimed that the “APC chairman had been going behind the president and against his instruction, in cahoots with small minds like him to alter the delegates list in the hope that power would remain in the north.”

Leader of the group, Toluwalade George, who raised the alarm, also expressed worry about the penchant of people entrusted with sensitive assignments by the president and disrespecting him by ignoring his orders.

George said: “Even after the meeting the president had last night with the party’s National Advisory Council, NAC, presidential aspirants and other stakeholders, it is disturbing to hear the chairman claim that the position of the northern governors was at best their person opinion and not binding on the forum.

“Besides, he has repeatedly held on to the view that the party had not taken a position on zoning, not factoring into account the state and mood of the nation. What other proof does anyone need to say that Adamu is working to sabotage the APC and evidently working for the opposition party, where he ordinarily belongs?

“If the chairman of a ruling party, in whom a lot of power is vested as the National Executive Committee, NEC, organ of the party, is this ambidextrous, deceptive and narrow-minded on a critical issue of national interest with collective concerns on the future of the country, then, there’s cause for concern.

“If at his age now, Adamu is not considering or thinking posterity, then, it is utterly dangerous to leave such humongous power in his hands at a time the nation is about to make history and his party on the cusp of victory for a straight third term. To say his position is disappointing is being conservative.

“We, therefore, call on the governors of the party – both north and south – to reaffirm their positions on the future of Nigeria and let Adamu know that he does not own the party and that Nigeria’s future is more important to them than his selfish but destructive orchestrations. Adamu cannot disrespect the president and the governors of the party. Who is he exactly?”

George, however, called on every stakeholder in the party to put their eyes on Adamu and not allow him bring down the only party that has given hope to the unity of Nigeria by agreeing to shift power to south, adding that he has lost all the confidence and respect earlier conceded to him.

His words: “At this point, Adamu must be watched very closely. He is a cancerous link to APC’s promising future and must be cultured immediately before he grows out of control. With what we hear is going on, Adamu is in the APC, not for the collective good of the party, but a self-serving mission that is designed to bring down all that the party has worked for.” (Text, excluding headline: Vanguard)

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