By Muhammad Mamman
Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) to retain the existing zoning arrangement ahead of the party’s forthcoming national convention.
The call, made amid growing consultations and permutations over the convention, underscores concerns that altering the zoning formula could unsettle internal balance and threaten party cohesion. Party leaders and interest groups argue that the zoning principle has been instrumental in managing diversity, promoting inclusiveness and ensuring a fair distribution of key positions within the APC since its formation.
According to the stakeholders, adherence to the current zoning structure would help avert avoidable tensions and preserve stability at a critical moment for the ruling party, particularly as it consolidates its hold on power and prepares for future electoral contests.
They noted that previous conventions conducted under the zoning framework fostered unity and broad acceptance of outcomes, stressing that any deviation could deepen factional rivalries and undermine confidence in the party’s internal democratic processes.
While acknowledging the constitutional authority of the NEC to determine the mode and structure of the convention, the stakeholders urged the party leadership to prioritise consensus and continuity in decision-making.
The APC is expected to hold its national convention later in the year to elect members of its National Working Committee, a process widely seen as pivotal to shaping the party’s direction ahead of the next general elections.
As deliberations intensify, attention remains firmly fixed on President Tinubu and the NEC, whose decisions are likely to define the tone, outcome and unity of the APC in the months ahead.
