All Progressive Congress, APC, Presidential Convention Committee, led by Kayode Fayemi, yesterday announced that it has finally settled for Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos as the venue for the December 10 and 11 presidential primaries.
4 of the 5 presidential aspirants had last weekend petitioned the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, kicking against the holding of the convention in Lagos. The aspirants - former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Kano State Governor, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso, his Imo State counterpart, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Publisher of Leadership newspapers, Mr. Sam Nda-Isiah - recommended that the venue be moved to Benin or be retained in Abuja.
According to Fayemi, the decision to have the convention in Lagos was jointly taken by members of the committee and representatives of the five aspirants.
Fayemi said: "We have not taken any decision without the input of all the presidential aspirants. I can assure you of that. We did not arrive at Lagos State accidentally. We did not arrive at Lagos serendipitously. We arrived at Lagos with the full input of all our presidential aspirants, yes, concerns were raised about the distance, for example, someone coming from Yobe State as a delegate or from Maiduguri State."
"It's a practical issue and I would have been surprised if our aspirants did not raise such issue. The duty that I have is to convince them and explain to them the processes we have put in place. They were happy and they have given us full cooperation that Lagos State is acceptable to them."
Former Ekiti State governor, Fayemi, also informed that the over 8,000 delegates are being expected across the country for the convention.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, one of the presidential aspirants said he whole-heartedly welcomes the choice of Lagos as venue for the APC presidential primaries.
It would be recalled that two presidential aspirants, Abubarkar and Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had on Tuesday in a letter of protest addressed to APC National Chairman, expressed displeasure for the choice of Lagos, citing proximity and its peculiar heavy traffic.
But yeesterday, Abubakar said in a statement by his Media Office in Abuja that he is not only delighted that Lagos has been selected to host such an august event, but is confident that the city has all it takes to ensure that the event will be memorable and successful, especially in view of its cosmopolitan nature and the famed easy-going nature of its residents.
The statement said: "It should also be pointed out that the city of Lagos to former Vice President is like a home, bearing in mind that he spent several years of his public service career there."
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