APC Leaders Share Power, Give OBJ Three Ministerial Slots

LEADERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were involved in
marathon meetings throughout last week in Abuja in what was described
as "last minute confidence-building exercise."

Strategic leaders of the party had arrived Abuja on Monday and
remained in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) till Saturday morning
when some of them headed for Lafia, Nasarawa State for the grand
finale of the presidential campaign rally in the North-Central state.

Sources told Sunday Tribune that as part of confidence-building aimed
at ensuring that stakeholders go into the election with a sense of
belonging, each of the leaders was told what he is likely to get in
the event the APC wins the presidential election on 28 March.

It was gathered that though some discussions on power sharing had
actually taken place before now, the exercise of last week was aimed
at rebuilding confidence in the party and firming up a zoning
arrangement.

"Some strategists of the party involved in the power sharing
arrangement have been meeting in Abuja since the beginning of last
week. Many flew into the capital city on Monday and they remained in
town till Saturday. What could be regarded as the grand finale of the
meeting took place at the Imo State Governor's Lodge in Abuja on
Friday evening. The arrangements were finalised at the meeting," a
source said.

It was gathered that each of the leaders from the geopolitical zones
has been given a sense of belonging in the arrangement.
For instance, a source said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo
was offered three ministerial slots, FCT, Interior and Defence.

It was also gathered that the position of Secretary to the Government
of the Federation (SGF) was zoned to the South-South with the like of
Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the APC National Chairman, Chief John
Odigie-Oyegun, said to have been penciled in for the job.

It was also learnt that the spokesman of APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has
been penciled in as Minister of Information, while Honourable Abike
Dabiri has been penciled in as Special Adviser to The President on
Media and Publicity.
--Tribune