DELEGATES, who will elect the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have started arriving at Eagle Square, the venue of the party’s national convention.
The delegates concluded their accreditation at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, before they were moved in busloads to the Eagle Square.
Abuja Urban Mass Transit buses are conveying delegates to the venue of the primary election.
READ ALSO:
Teargas causes mild pandemonium at APC presidential primary venue
Osinbajo supporters woo delegates with free therapeutic massage at APC presidential primary
APC governors, NWC recommend five presidential aspirants to Buhari for consensus
Onu, Okorocha, others reject five names submitted to Buhari for consensus
Delegates from each state arrive together on the same bus.
The ICIR observed that delegates from most of the states are wearing colourful uniforms.
A delegate, who did not identify himself, told The ICIR that the uniforms were sewn specifically for the national convention.
The delegates appear to be in high spirits. There are reports that presidential aspirants have been doling out gifts to curry the favours of the delegates whose votes will determine the outcome of the contest.
Ahead of the presidential primary election, the APC national chairman Abdullahi Adamu had expressed concern that delegates were selling their conscience by collecting money from aspirants.
The major presidential aspirants had moved around the country to meet the delegates and seek their support before the primary election.
Although he said there was no clear evidence of alleged monetary inducement of voters by aspirants, Adamu had advised the delegates against selling their votes to the highest bidders.
VIDEO: 2023 Presidential Primary: @OfficialAPCNg Lagos, Ogun and Osun delegates arriving Eagle Square, Abuja.
_#APCPresidentialPrimaries #Nigeria #APC #2023elections #YemiOsinbajo #Batified #OsinbajoIsComing #Nigeria pic.twitter.com/SHvTdzkZng— The ICIR (@TheICIR) June 7, 2022
“I don’t have evidence that aspirants are sharing money with delegates. For me, it’s the delegates that are selling their conscience, which is not proper. Our delegates should know that anybody sharing money with them can’t be the right candidate for the party, he doesn’t mean well for the country. I don’t have a solution for the problem,” Adamu said.
On the eve of the convention, President Muhammadu Buhari had, in a letter addressed to the delegates, urged them to cast their votes without being influenced by any manner of inducement or manipulation.
Buhari further urged the delegates to vote wisely, and pick a person that would fly the banner of the APC to a resounding victory in the 2023 general elections.
Two thousand, three hundred and forty delegates will vote at the APC presidential primary election.
The 2,340 are made up of three elected adhoc delegates from each of the 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country and the six Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area councils.
A breakdown of the number of delegates that would represent the various states and the FCT in the APC presidential primary election shows that the North-West has the highest number with a total of 558 delegates.
The South-West is second with 411 delegates, followed by South-South with 369 delegates. The North-Centraloccupies the 4th position with 363 delegates. The North-East is next with 336 delegates.
The South-East, with 288, has the lowest number of delegates that will be voting in the APC presidential primary election.