The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Wednesday at a special national convention in Awka, the Anambra State capital, adopted President Goodluck Jonathan as its presidential candidate in the February 2015 general election.

The adoption of the president whose motion was moved by the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Nkem Okeke and seconded by the chairman of APGA in Bauchi State, Alhaji Adamu Musa, the National Chairman of the party, Chief Victor Umeh, said was necessitated as the party did in 2011, by the need to have a leader who is a binding force that would advance national unity and a calm president in the face of hostilities.

APGA, he said was supporting President Jonathan’s second term in office because he pledged to implement the 600 recommendations of the recently concluded National Conference which it believed could sustain the future of Nigeria.

“We have decided at this convention to throw the weight of APGA behind President Jonathan and endorse his second term ambition to continue to render services to the country and deliver democracy dividends,” he said.

Before the adoption of the president however, the convention had adopted four recommendations of its constitution review committee set up earlier this year and which were inserted in the amended constitution of the party.

The new insertions in the amended party constitution included the provision of the office of party leaders, the change of the party logo from “Be your brother’s keeper”, to ‘be your brothers’ and sisters’ keeper,’ the deletion of Chief Chekwas Okorie’s name from the party constitution as the founder of APGA since one person does not form a party, the provision of 18 months minimum duration of membership of the party to be eligible to contest elective positions on its platform, and the extension of the leadership of the party at all levels to not more than 120 days if elections were not  conducted for unforeseen reasons at the expiration of their tenure, as well as the appointment of Governor  Willie Obiano as both the leader and chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees (BoT).

All the recommendations were ratified by the convention through different motions which received unanimous “aye”.

But it was the motion to extend the tenure of officers of the party at all levels though adopted through majority voice vote that was opposed by Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, the wife of the late leader of the party, Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

Umeh had explained before the recommendation to extend that the provision was not self-serving but that given the preparations for the general elections in February, it would not be prudent and pragmatic for the party to transit to another leadership at all levels.

He therefore enjoined the convention to consider ratifying the recommendation so that after the general election in February of 2015, the party will then conduct its ward, local government and state congresses  prior to its national convention in April.

It was ratified with majority of the party delegates supporting with overwhelming “aye”

But Bianca was the lone dissent as she stood to say “nay.”

She was later to tell journalists shortly after the convention that she wanted to be put on record as being opposed to elongation of tenure of APGA officers because it was illegal.

According to her, the officers could have stepped down at the convention since many of the officers are contesting elective positions, adding that it was the only way to give credibility to the process.