PDP plans to disrupt our national convention —APC •Jaja opts out of chairmanship race

CHAIRMAN of the convention planning committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Aliyu Wamakko of Sokoto State, on Thursday, accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of plotting to disrupt the first national convention of APC, billed to hold in Abuja from today through tomorrow.

This came just as one of the leading contenders for the position of national chairman of APC, Dr Sam Jaja, was said to have opted out of the race.

Addressing pre-convention press conference in Abuja, on Thursday, Governor Wamakko disclosed that 6,855 delegates from six geopolitical zones of the country had arrived for the convention.

He said since coming on board as main opposition party, APC had survived all "the devious intrigues put together by the ruling PDP government to truncate its birth."

To this end, he maintained that adequate security measures had been put in place to ensure safety of lives of all delegates.

Governor Wamakko, however, alleged that in a move to discourage its delegates, the Federal Government had deliberately put in place stop and search checkpoint at entry points of Abuja.

He noted that "regardless of the stumbling blocks and hiccups deliberately planted to scuttle our purposes, the first delegates convention of APC is here."

However, the chairman, convention electoral committee and former PDP chairman, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, who hinted that Chief Jaja had opted out of the chairmanship race, did not give reasons.

With Chief Jaja dropping out of the race, the battle for the APC national chairman position is now among the trio of former governor of Edo State, John Odigie-Oyegun; former Bayelsa State governor, Mr Timipre Sylva and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Chief Tom Ikimi.
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