Ahead of the 2023 presidential elections, the All Progressives Congress has proposed an amendment to its constitution, giving waivers to aspirants who will not qualify to contest in a primary.
Also, a person who is not a member of the party will also have the luxury of participating in the primary and registering afterwards.
Some persons who are currently not members of the APC are said to be considering whether to contest for the Presidency or not as a member of the APC.
Chief among such persons include former President Goodluck Jonathan and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele.
It is also expected that aggrieved members of the opposition who are denied tickets may abandon their political parties and pitch tent with the APC.
A member of the APC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said “we have to plan for the defection of members of opposition political parties who are likely going to be denied tickets by their political parties. We know that is bound to happen.
“We also know some of our members would leave for another political party after primaries. The PDP for example, gives waivers to new members who want to contest any political office.”
The current APC constitution states that no person shall be eligible to contest for any party position or office or be nominated by the party to be its candidate at any election, if the person is not a member of the party.
It adds that any party office holder interested in contesting for an elective office (whether party office or office in a general election) shall resign and leave office 30 days prior to the date of the party primary.
The proposed constitutional amendment, however, states that the party’s National Executive Committee and its National Working Committee are free to grant a waiver to anyone who doesn’t meet these criteria if it is convinced that granting such a waiver would be in the best interest of the party.
The proposed clause 31.3 titled ‘waiver’, reads in part, “Subject to the approval of the National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee may, in special circumstances, grant a waiver to a person seeking a national party office, who is otherwise not qualified under this constitution if, in its opinion, such a waiver is in the best interest of the party.
“Subject to the approval of the National Executive Committee, the National Working Committee may, in special circumstances, grant a waiver to a person seeking the office of President, Vice President, Governor, Deputy Governor, Senator, member of the House Representatives, who is otherwise not qualified under this constitution if, in its opinion, such a waiver is in the best interest of the party.”
Both Emefiele and Jonathan have in recent times been touted as possible preferred candidates of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). While Jonathan is not currently registered as an APC member, he has not publicly identified with the Peoples Democratic Party for some time.
He was also absent from the party’s national convention last November. Former Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State, said recently that it was unlikely that Jonathan was still a member of the PDP as he had not been identifying with the party. Several groups have been mobilising support for Jonathan who led Nigeria between 2010 and 2015. His posters are expected to flood the streets of Abuja this week.
For CBN Governor, Emefiele, his supporters, donning APC shirts, have begun a nationwide campaign for him. Earlier in the week, he received some supporters in his office and told them that Buhari would be the one to determine his successor. Emefiele, however, refused to confirm or deny his interest in the Presidency.
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