National Convention: Former PDP strongmen take over APC

……..Buhari commends members for show of unity
……..Full list of all 78 elected officials
By David Oluwaseun
Former strongmen of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious in many key positions of APC National and Zonal Executive Committee at the just concluded convention of the party held at the weekend.
A two time former PDP governor of Nasarawa State Abdullahi Adamu emerged National Chairman by consensus following the withdrawal of all the other contestants, notably Tanko Al Makura, also a former governor but member of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), one of the founding parties of APC.
Similarly, the PDP governorship candidate in Osun 2014 governorship election and two term PDP Senator, Iyiola Omisore emerged National Secretary. Similarly, a former PDP Chieftain, Victor Giadom emerged as Vice Chairman, South-South

It took President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration almost seven years and 7,000 delegates to finally complete this process as those that emerged as the party’s final engine room via the positions of Chairman, national secretary, amongst others, were former stalwarts of the main opposition party, PDP.
Here is a complete list of the 78 newly elected national officers of APC after their 2022 national convention.

They emerged Saturday night via a consensus list adopted by the governors of the party.

1. National Chairman – Senator Abdullahi Adamu: (Nasarawa State)
2. Deputy National Chairman (North): Sen. Abubakar Kyari (Boro State)
3. Deputy National Chairman (South): Chief Emma Eneukwu (Enugu State)
4. National Secretary: Otunba lyiola Omisore (Osun State)
5. Deputy National Secretary: Fetus Fuanter (Plateau State)
6. National Vice Chairman: (North-Central): Muhazu Bawa Rijau (Niger State)
7. National Vice Chairman (North-East): Mustapha Salihu (Adamawa State)
8. National Vice Chairman (North-West): Salihu Lukman (Kaduna State)
9. National Vice Chairman (South-East): Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu (Imo State)
10. National Vice Chairman (South-South): Chief Hon. Victor Ton Giadom (Rivers State)
11. National Vice Chairman (South-West): Dr Isaac Kekemeke (Ondo state)
12. National Legal Adviser: Ahmed El-Marzuk (Katsina State)
13. National Treasurer: Uguru Mathew Ofoke (Ebonyi State)
14. National Financial Secretary: Bashir Usman Gumel (Jigawa State)
15. National Organizing Secretary: Suleiman M Argungu (Kebbi State)
16. National Youth Leader: Dayo Abdullah Isreal (Lagos State)
17. National Welfare Secretary: F.N. Nwosu (Abia)

18: National Publicity Secretary: Felix Morka (Delta)

19. National Auditor: Senator Abubakar Malkafi (Bauchi)
20. National Women’s leader: Dr. Betta Edu (Cross River)

21: Special Persons With Disability(PWD) Leader: Tolu Bankole (ogun)

22.Deputy National Legal Adviser: Ibrahim Salawu (kwara)

23: Deputy National Treasurer: Omorede Osifo (Edo)
24: Deputy Financial Secretary : Hamma-Adama Ali Kumo (Gombe)

25:Deputy National Organising Secretary: Nze Chidi Duru (Anambra)

26: Deputy National Publicity Secretary: Yakubu Murtala Ajaka (Kogi)

27. Deputy National Welfare Secretary: Dr Christopher Akpan( Akwa Ibom)

28: Deputy National Auditor: Olufemi Egbedeyi (Oyo)

29: Deputy National Women’s Leader: Zainab Abubakar Ibrahim (Taraba)

30. Deputy National Youth leader: Jamaludden Kabir (Zamfara)
31. National Ex-officio (North-Central): Oluwatoyin Opawuye (Kwara)
32. National Ex-officio (North-East): Sirajo Dabuwa (Bauchi)

33: National Ex-officio (North-West): Aliyu Ahmed Yako (Kano)

34: National Ex-officio (South-East): Agunwa Anekwe( Anambra)

35. National Ex-officio (South-South): Diriwari Akedewei (Bayelsa)
36. National Ex-officio ( South-West): Mrs Bunmi Oriniowo (Ekiti)
37. Zonal Secretary (North-Central): Yakubu Mohammed Adamu (FCT)
38. Zonal Secretary (North-East): Mohammed Wali Shettima (Yobe)
39. Zonal Secretary (North-West): Barr. Bello Goronyo (Sokoto)
40. Zonal Secretary (South-West): Vincent Bewaji (Ekiti)
41. Zonal Secretary (South-East): Azobi Innocent Itapi (Ebonyi)
42. Zonal Secretary (South-South): Dr Ita Udosen (Akwa Ibom)
43. Zonal Legal Adviser (North-East): Dauda Chapo (Taraba)
44. Zonal Legal Adviser (North-Central): Hadiza Aliyu(Kogi)
45. Zonal Legal Adviser (North-West):Barr.Dauda Usaini Dutse( Jigawa)
46. Zonal Legal Adviser (South-West): Ismail Kolawole Majoro (Oyo)
47. Zonal Legal Adviser (South-East): Mayor Ogbona Ernest(Ebonyi)
48. Zonal Legal Adviser (South South): Nil
49. Zonal Organising Secretary(North-East): Abubakar Adamu Musa( Taraba)
50. Zonal Organising Secretary (North-West): Salisu Uba (Zamfara)
51. Zonal Organising Secretary (North-Central): Ahmed Attah (Kogi)
52. Zonal Organising Secretary (South-West): Lateef Ibirogba

53: Zonal Organising Secretary (South-East): Dozie Ikadite (Anambra)

54. Zonal Organising Secretary (South-South): Blessing Agboma (Edo)
55. Zonal Publicity Secretary (North-East): Lamido Mohammed (Gombe)
56. Zonal Publicity Secretary (North-Central): John Okobo(Benue)
57. Zonal Publicity Secretary (North -West): Musa Makatiya (Zamfara)
58. Zonal Publicity Secretary (South-East): Augustine Onyedebehi( Imo)
59. Zonal Publicity Secretary (South-South)
60. Zonal Publicity Secretary (south-West): Ayo Afolabi
61. Zonal Women’s leader (North-Central): Oluwatoyin Opawuye (Kwara)
62. Zonal Women’s leader (North-East): Zainab Abubakar Alman (Gombe)
63. Zonal Women’s leader (North-West): Hajiya Hadiza Shagari( Sokoto)
64. Zonal Women’s leader (South-West): Mrs Yetunde Adesanya (Ogun)
65. Zonal Women’s leader (South-South): Caroline Owugha (Bayelsa)
66. Zonal Women’s leader (South-East): Mimi Uchenna Diyokeh(Enugu)
67. Zonal Youth leader (North-Central): Zubairu Aliyu (Kwara)

68: Zonal Youth leader (North-West): Abdulhamid Umar Mohammed (Kano)

69. Zonal Youth leader (North-East): Jason Baba Kkwaghe (Adamawa)
70. Zonal Youth leader (South-East): Nkenna Anyalewechi (Abia)
71. Zonal Youth leader (South-West): Kolade Lawal (Ondo)
72. Zonal Youth Leader (South-South): Comrade Ebimobowe (Delta)

73: Zonal leader of Person with Disability (North-Central): Laho Lazarus Audu(Benue)

74. Zonal leader of Person with Disability(North-East): Mohammed Baba Isa (Yobe)
75. Zonal leader of Person with Disability (North-West): Lawal Na Rago (Kano)
76. Zonal leader of Person with Disability (South-South): Chief Edet Aziz ( Cross River)
77. Zonal leader of Person with Disability (South-East): Dr Nwachukwu Stanley Chinedu (Imo)
78. Zonal Leader of Persons With Disability (South West): Mashood Erubami (Oyo State)

In the meantime, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Abdullahi Adamu-led 79-member National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress, APC, that emerged at the just concluded convention in Abuja, saying that the unity of members put on display puts the party on a firmer footing for victory in next year, 2023, General Elections.
The President who returned to the Convention ground at the Eagle Square, Sunday morning, along with the Vice President and the Senate President to witness and celebrate the inauguration of the elected party executives, remarked that the smooth conduct of the election raises the prospect of a mouth-watering APC victory next year.
“The APC Convention hosted this weekend sets the scene for an APC victory in the presidential and general elections next year. It is a victory over naysayers who believed the party was divided but are now disappointed,” said the President.
“We believe that it is equally a victory for the president who has ensured unity across all party positions; and it is a victory for the voters of Nigeria who can now be assured of a smooth succession to new leadership in 2023. What the Convention made clear was how the media has been peddling fake news of division, when the hard reality of unity, cohesion, and indeed personal warmth between members of the party’s leaders – incoming and outgoing – was evident for all to see” he added. 
The President went further, “Of course, the blame for this mindset ought rightly to go to the opposition who in all these years had done the work to only divide the country, leading to all manner of separatist agitations. But this is not the wish, nor is it in the character of the citizens, as was clear for everyone to see at the Eagle Square.
When their fake news of disunity was undone by the facts, some in the opposition could not help themselves but take to the newspapers and the airwaves to find another way to shore up their reputations. That some of the APC’s new leadership were once in the opposition was the new line to take to the media, somehow suggesting that those who have left one party should not hold positions in another. Yet, do the Scriptures not teach us of the virtue of sinners who repent and change their ways? 
What the Scriptures say less is of sinners who repent, change their tune, and then choose to re-sin in full public view by returning to their former ways. Given that most important leaders of the opposition PDP first left the party before they returned to it, we might expect the media to ensure criticism of them is damning and absolute. It is incredulous that anyone would consider them trustworthy or acceptable candidates for any public office. 
The stage is now set for the APC primary elections later this year when the party’s new flag bearers will emerge. No doubt some will attempt to argue the impossible – that an APC primary election is a source of division while an opposition primary election is a source of consensus. But the good voters of Nigeria can see through such acrobatics and know the facts that, when the contests for 2023 come, APC offers a track record of success and leadership, while the opposition has only decades of failure and complicity in response”.