APC LEADERS IN CRUCIAL TALKS WITH PRESIDENTIAL ASPIRANTS

• Party lifts deadline for sale, submission of nomination forms
As politicians and political parties plan their strategies ahead of the 2015 general election, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday night held a crucial meeting with its presidential aspirants and some of its governors in Abuja.
Although the agenda of the meeting was not made public, THISDAY gathered that the key issue behind the meeting was to try and further build harmony and understanding amongst the party's presidential aspirants.
It was learnt that the party had earlier prevailed on the aspirants to abide by the rules and avoid rancorous campaigns so that the outcome of the party’s primaries will be well received by the public.
“The party is wary of the damaging impact a crisis-ridden presidential convention can have on its overall fortunes in the 2015 general election. So tonight’s meeting is one of a series of consultations between party leaders, especially members of the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the aspirants to try and maintain a harmonious environment,” a party source said.
It also emerged yesterday that the main opposition party has decided to respond swiftly to the political antics of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by altering the deadlines for the sale and submission of expression of interest and nomination forms.
Whereas PDP had earlier slated its primaries for November 22, APC fixed its House of Representatives primaries for November 24, while its senatorial primaries were scheduled to hold on November 29.
Also according to the timetable for primary elections earlier published by the APC, the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms for state Assembly and governorship was to end by November 14.
However, PDP made a calculated move by shifting all its primaries to the second week of December so as to allow APC to conclude its own primaries first.
Given the changes made by PDP, an APC source told THISDAY yesterday that the opposition might relax its deadlines and tinker with its dates for its primaries, in order to counter the PDP plan.
THISDAY gathered that APC is banking on reaping from the fallout of the crisis-ridden PDP ward congresses and is confident that some of the aggrieved aspirants, especially those contesting for governorship and National Assembly positions, would revolt and pitch their tent with the opposition party.
Source: Thisday