As the All Progressives Congress (APC) holds its national convention in Abuja today, the list of consensus candidates from the South-South caucus of the party has emerged.
In the list, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, was not among the top government officials and politicians from the zone that appended their signatures to the list.
Keyamo, a staunch defender of President Muhammadu Buhari, has, according to that indication, missed out of emerging as a party executive at the convention today.
His only way in is to go against Buhari’s consensus plan and contest via election.
The list of nominees as South-South’s consensus candidates was signed by Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, Secretary of the CECPC, Senator John Akpanudoudehe; Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Ameachi, and Minister of Niger-Delta, Godswill Akpabio.
Others who signed the list are the party’s former Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole; a former Minister of State for Agriculture, Heineken Lokpobiri, and former Edo State Deputy Governor, Lucky Imasuen.
Also at the meeting where the decision was made was Mrs Stella Okotete, the representative of women in the Caretaker Extraordinary Committee; representative of the South-South in the CECPC, Mr David Lyon; Sen. Ita Enaga, Sen. Magnus Abe, Mr Victor Giadom and Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege.
All the six states in the region were allocated at least an office as shown in the list, Punch reported.
Top on the list of the beneficiaries is the former deputy National Secretary of the party, Victor Giadom, who is returning to the party as National Vice Chairman (South-South) and a member of the NWC.
Giadom, a former commissioner of works in Rivers State, became popular when he pronounced himself the acting national chairman of the party, an action that finally led to the sacking of a former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole as the party’s national chairman almost two years ago.
Other adopted candidates are Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Betta Edu (National Women Leader), and Mr Felix Morka (National Publicity Secretary).
NAN reported that a statement issued by the stakeholders said that the three party members were adopted at the last meeting of the stakeholders held in Abuja.
The National Vice Chairman South-South is zoned to Rivers/Bayelsa states, National Women Leader to Akwa Ibom/Cross River states and National Publicity Secretary to Edo/ Delta States.
While Governor Ayade picked Edu (Cross River) for the National Women Leader, Ameachi was said to have picked Giadom (Rivers State) for the position of National Vice Chairman.
Omo-Agege was also said to have picked Morka (Delta State) for the National Publicity Secretary position.
The position of others who obtained the expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the positions was not clear as of press time.
