The Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is in a dilemma over a minority report submitted by the Chairman of the Screening Appeal Committee, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, which disqualified some of the candidates that were earlier cleared by the Aminu Bello Masari led screening committee.
The Nation learnt late Friday evening that Okorocha and one other member of the 20 man appeal committee submitted a minority report while the rest members of the committee submitted a majority report which cleared those candidates disqualified by Okorocha.
It was gathered that the Okorocha Minority report disqualified the National Organising Secretary, Senator Osita Izunaso, National Auditor, Chief George Moghalu and the National Vice Chairman, South East, Emma Eneukwu.
Okorocha has been having a running battle with Senator Izunaso over control of the party in Imo state.
It was reliably gathered from a reliable source who is a top member of the party from South-east APC that the governor, who is the chairman of the Screening Appeal committee and one other member of the panel refused to append their signatures on the main report submitted to the chairman of the National Convention, Governor Abubakar Badaru.
The convention committee was said to have rejected the minority report on the ground that it can invalidate the one submitted by majority of the members of the committee.
It was further gathered from the source that some leaders of the party from the zone have been selected to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday’s night to see whether the list of aspirants from the region could be pruned down.
Those to meet with the President include; Former governor of Abia state Orji Uzor Kalu, Voice of Nigeria’s Director General, Osita Okechukwu, Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonayan Onu and deputy governor of Imo state Prince Eze Madumere.
The source said: “The meeting with the president is meant to see how the interest of all the group could be taken care of because Mr. President wouldn’t want to hand over the party to a particular group against the other. So, the meeting became necessary.
“Already, the South-east cannot produce consensus candidates for the positions of national Organizing Secretary, National Auditor and National Vice Chairman (Southeast).
“Senator Osita Izunaso who is the current national organizing Secretary has been advised to withdraw from the race while Governor Rocha’s Okorocha’s candidate, Barr Emma Ibediro, will not make it because the entire South-east APC is not comfortable with any nominee brought by Okorocha,” the source stated.
The source, however, said that it was however certain whether the President will be favourably disposed to receiving the south-east leaders. (The Nation)
