Is APC National Chairmanship Zoned to North-central?

Nseobong Okon-Ekong writes that the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress is the next most anticipated political event in Nigeria 

On the surface,  it looks like the race for the National Chairmanship of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a settled matter for candidates from the North-central region; that is Plateau, Nasarawa,  Kogi, Kwara, Benue and Niger states. Except for a few others, the majority of aspirants for this exalted office in the ruling party are from the North-central.

Is it that these contestants know something that is not clear yet to the people.  The main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), recently concluded its National Convention at which Senator Iyorchia Ayu from Benue, a state in the North-central region emerged National Chairman of the party. There is nothing that says the APC must follow the track of the PDP.

With the successful conclusion of the Anambra governorship election,  the APC National Convention is arguably the next most anticipated political event in Nigeria. Of the course, all eyes will be on the person who will lead the party, as its National Chairman.

For a long time Sentator Tanko Al-Makura, a former Governor of Nasarawa State appeared to be the only one interested in the office. Supporters of Al-Makura including the governor of his state, Abdullahi Sule put up compelling arguments, including the fact that Congress for Progressives Change (CPC) elements in the APC appear to have been given the short end of the stick. But opponents of this claim have argued that the CPC got the biggest office, when President Muhammadu Buhari became the candidate of the party and subsequently  the President of the country.

Then came Saliu Mustapha from Kwara State who has premised his campaign on the fact that former governors should not be allowed to hold that office, pointing to examples in both the PDP and APC in which the tenure of a former governor as National Chairman of political parties led to so much strife and the disintegration of the party. Therefore,  Mustapha has urged the APC to consider a fresh and competent face, a description he believes fits his profile.

However, one of the most potent campaigns for the National Chairmananship of the APC has is from Senator Sani Musa from Niger State.

Senator Musa, the serving senator representing Niger East Senatorial District parades excellent professional and educational credentials. He believes he is the right man for the job. Exhibiting an unblemished record in his distinguished career both in the public and private service, since 1986, Senator Musa is a passionate ICT oriented person. To his credit, he developed and promoted Electronic Voting for the first time in Nigeria. This manifested in the introduction of Card Reader and Permanent Voters Card (PVC), the revolutionary steps is the instrumental to the transformation of political party election in Nigeria by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2015 and 2019.

An astute politician, he proudly said that his political career is just as accomplished and rich with experience as his academic and business pursuits. “I am a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and was in 2014 an aspirant for the Niger East Senatorial Dostrict; member, Niger State Gubernatorial Campaign Committee in 2007, a delegate to the National Convention in 2007 as well as a gubernatorial aspirant in Niger State in 2007.

In 2015, Musa went through a trying period for which he believes he will yet be recommended for National Honour. He narrated the incident. “My integrity was brought to test in 2015 when I was arrested and detained and later induced with financial and material gift to compromise the 2015 general election by revealing the confidential information on the Card Reader, but for my believe and stand for the nation, I refused to compromise and the success of the 2015 general election was celebrated across the globe. My zeal and determination is always to get the best for Nigeria and Nigerians.” It is no longer news that our political parties and institutions are captives of the oligarchy and serve mostly their interest and that of the few rich allies and powerful politicians. Our leaders failed to unite and inspire our diverse peoples as a nation.

“As a member of the APC Presidential Campaign Team 2019, I donated the biggest Presidential Campaign Office in Northern Nigeria not to mention my championing of the usage of the PVC during the voting process.”

He was an Ex-Officio of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and also held the same post in the defunct United Nigeria Congress Party (UNCP) in 1997.

Since 2019, Musa has been a Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria, serving as the Chairman of Senate Services committees and member of the committees on: Appropriation, Petroleum Resources, FCT, Water Resources, Foreign and Local Debt. He sees himself as a dedicated and committtted member working for the success of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. He has also served as a member of various committees of the APC; a member of the NEC, Contact and Strategy Committee and Constitutional Review Committee.

An indigene of Paikoro Local Government Area in Niger State, Musa can be said to have sharpened his interest in serving the public during his tenure as President of the Zodia Club, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria between 1988 and 1989. He bagged a Bachelor of Science Degree (Hons) Business Administration (Banking and Financial Managament) from the ABU in 1990. He previously got a Diploma in Insurance from the Institute of Administration, ABU Zaria in 1996. In 2007 and 2012, Musa obtained postgraduate diploma and certificate in Public Policy Management; International Management from the University of London and University of Liverpool. A beneficiary of different executive courses, certifications and affiliations, he was at the United States Institute of Peace – Professional Certificate in Conflict Analysis in 2007. The next year, 2008, he was at University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, Pennsylvania USA. Leadership Training Programme on Accountability, Ethics, and Corporate Governance. In 2012, he was at the Harvard Business School, Harvard University Cambridge Boston USA Theme: Strategic IQ – Creating Smarter Corporations.