Akande, Masari, El-Rufai, Lai in APC exco

THE All Progressive Congress, APC, has confirmed chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Bisi Akande as the Interim National Chairman of the emerging political party set to confront the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in coming elections.

The decision on Akande was reached last night after an exhaustive meeting of the four parties involved in the merger at the Lagos State Governor’s Residence in Abuja.

Besides, Akande, Alhaji Lai Mohammed of the ACN was returned as the national publicity secretary of the APC.

Erstwhile speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Masari is to serve as the Deputy National Chairman, North of the party while All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA’s Senator Annie Okonkwo is to serve as the Deputy National Chairman, South.

The national secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Alhaji Tijani Tumsa is also to serve in the same position in the APC while the erstwhile Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai is to serve as the Deputy National Secretary on the sponsorship of the CPC. Hajiya Sadiya Farouq of the ANPP is to serve as the national treasurer of the fledgling political party.
The APC was unveiled last February by four political parties, ACN, ANPP, CPC and APGA as a common platform on which they expect to fuse into to battle the ruling PDP.

The nomination of national officers is one of the last requirements stipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC for any party expecting to merge. Three of the parties, ACN, CPC and ANPP had earlier forwarded a joint letter to INEC giving their indication to merge and accompanied same with their registration certificates.
A faction of APGA led Governor Rochas Okorocha is involved in the merger but the legacy parties have excluded APGA from the documentation procedures on account of the internal divisions in the party.