The All Progressives Congress (APC) screening exercise for its zonal office aspirants commenced last night at the secretariat and Nicon Luxury Hotels as party activities spiked ahead of its National Convention.

The screening of the chairmanship aspirants and other top party positions will, however, hold Sunday evening even as strong indications emerged that the micro-zoning of offices at the geopolitical level may collapse entirely in a matter of hours in most zones.

Stakeholders of the party appear not to be keen on respecting the micro-zoning arrangement.

Chairmanship aspirant, Alhaji Abdulazeez Yari, former governor of Zamfara State, stands out as one aspirant that has refused to honour the zoning arrangement of the party, insisting on contesting the position zoned to the north central geopolitical zone.

Tijani Kaura, who returned the nomination form on behalf of the former governor, maintained that their camp is not aware that the party has zoned the chairman position to any specific part of the north.

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According to him, the much the Yari camp is aware of is that the presidential and the chairmanship positions were rotated between the North and South with the former returning to the North.

“Let me say again that we are all aware that the party has zoned national Chairmanship to the North and presidency to the South but we are not aware that there is specific zoning within the geopolitical zones of either the president of the national chairman of the party.

“Nobody indicated whether it is Southwest, South East or South-South. The party acting Chairman has not come out officially to tell us the chairmanship has been zoned to a particular geopolitical zone. So, that is why we are here,” he said.

Senator Kaura stressed that the former chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has enough experience to lead the party, having sold his aspiration to all APC governors.

The Micro-Zoning arrangement appears also to have collapsed in the North West where the National Organizing Secretary position was zoned.

That position was micro zoned to Kebbi, however, Barrister Ismael Ahmed, the outgoing National Youth leader in the Caretaker Committee, is poised to snatch the seat in an open Contest.

The situation is not also rosy in the South South geopolitical zone where the Women Leader position said to be reserved for the candidate of Ben Ayade, defected governor of Cross River State, has been seriously challenged by two aspirants.

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Mary Ekpere Eta, former DG of the National Centre for Women Development who returned her nomination form on Friday insisted that the purported unity list said to be coming from Cross River State does not have the blessing of the Aspirants.

She warned that any attempt to smuggle anybody or a friend of the governor to take the position of APC women leader would vehemently be resisted.

Aside her aspiration, she said the other aspirant for the position as at the close of nomination on Friday was Barr. Helen Effiong.

Meanwhile, the party’s chairmanship aspirants have intensified their campaigns despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s preference for a consensus candidate.

Among the top contenders who have strengthened their push for the party’s top job is Senator Tanko Al-Makura who said he is motivated to vie for the leadership of the party to foster the unity of the country.

He said it was that need to ensure unity and cohesion of the country that motivated the coming together of the legacy parties to birth the APC in 2013-14, adding that the need for the unity of the nation’s diverse settings have never been greater than it is today.

Addressing journalists and crowd of supporters when he returned his nomination form on Friday at the party’s National Secretariat, the former governor of Nasarawa State said he also has adequate experience to lead the party to success.

“I’m here to show my respect and deference to the leadership of the party, by complying with the regulations and guidelines that will make the process of the emergence of leaders of this party free, fair and credible.”

Similarly, Alhaji Saliu Mustapha, APC Chairmanship aspirant, has begged fellow aspirants and the ruling party to endorsement his aspiration in the interest of the party, promising to bring in innovations that would enrich the party and polity.

He said his desire is to serve and add value to the leadership of the APC and bridge the gap between the younger generation of voters and the old.

The Turaki of Ilorin spoke when he returned his nomination forms to the party’s secretariat in Abuja, adding that his aspiration will unify the young and older members of the party.

“Saliu Mustapha’s aspiration in this contest is to serve. This is not about title, but it is coming to add value, serving the party, and moving the party forward.

“To meet up with the millennium and global challenges of advanced politics. That is why for us in this team, we want to come and do Progressive and smart politics and proactive politics. We want to add value in many areas.

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“First we want to ensure as leaders of this party we carry everyone along, we want to also make sure we guarantee level playing ground. We guarantee internal democracy because ones you fail to have that in your party that is the beginning of problems for you. We want to ensure every APC card carrying member that we will create a level playing ground.”

DAILY INDEPENDENT