Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Opeyemi Bamidele, have said the All Progressives Congress (APC) is still within the law by likely choosing Senator Abdullahi Adamu as the next National Chairman of the ruling party.
The duo, who spoke yesterday on Channels Television, said the Electoral Act and the party’s constitution provide for direct, indirect or consensus candidacy.
They said the President, who is the Leader of the party, has consulted widely with all stakeholders, particularly those interested
in the chairmanship of the party, adding that many of them willingly stepped down for Adamu.
Lalong said: “APC will adopt consensus candidate. The fact that the party has adopted consensus does not mean that anybody interested cannot contest. However, the President decides eventually. We are already in the process of the convention. States and party stakeholders are consulting.
“For a party that has leadership, loyalty ends with the leader of the party. So, for APC, we have a leader, who is President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The President prefers Abdullahi Adamu and he has consulted extensively with all contenders. He has equally given reasons for the choice of Adamu.”
According to the governor, the party may or may not come up with a unity list.
He said: “There may or may not be a unity list. But if there will be, it will be unveiled on the day of the convention, which is Saturday.”
Bamidele, who dismissed any acrimony within the party, said: “There is actually nothing happening in APC now that is not a Nigerian situation. Some of the things we see in the APC are reflections of what goes on in the country. Notwithstanding, we are managing those issues. Most importantly, democracy is about the majority having their way.
“We are doing our best to advise the party that it does not run fowl of the Electoral Law. And so far, the party has not done anything against the law.
“Consensus candidate is actually the easiest, but it can be very controversial, if the process is not properly managed.
“So far, things look good as far as the planning for the convention is concerned,” he added.
Governors and leaders are meeting to micro-zone all other positions of the party, apart from the post of the chairman, which appears to have been settled.