Encomium
Over 8,000 accredited delegates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are gathered at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, to pick the presidential flag bearer of the party for the 2015 general election.
encomium.ng brings you live updates as it happens…
1:36 pm – 2:25 pm: Chairman of APC National Convention Committee (Kayode Fayemi); his deputy (Kawu Baraje) and other members of the committee arrive Teslim Balogun Stadium, venue of the convention and are going round to inspect the arena and make final arrangements. Delegates trickle in. The venue, at the moment, is mostly populated by journalists and security personnel.
Fayemi inspects facilities at Teslim Balogun stadium
Outside the Teslim Balogun stadium, in Lagos, traffic is building up as delegates add to the already congested city.
3:16 pm – 4:58 pm: Accreditation of delegates from the South West
Latest information coming in is that Sam Nda Isaiah has stepped down for Muhammad Buhari. Initial reports say that the duo of Governors Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rochas Okorocha of Kano and Imo states respectively have stepped down.
The police officers guarding the ballot boxes have just been relieved by a new set of policemen. they deserve the break. they stood under the sun all day.
5:26 pm – 5:44 pm: Tinubu tweets, telling delegates: “You came not just as party members from your particular states or communities. You came here as representatives of a new Nigeria. As APC, we cannot afford to squander this moment. We cannot afford to look history in the face then turn our back to it. Let that which you do here not only be recorded as a high moment for the party, but also as an inspiring turning point for our country. Welcome to Lagos and welcome to your convention, the convention for the people. During this convention, the history of our beloved nation is to be rewritten for the better”.
Deputy Governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje tweets, denying that his principal, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has stepped down.
Police officers relieving their colleagues who has been standing under the sun all day. APC National Convention.
With the sun rapidly setting, delegates have began trickling into the main bowl of the Teslim Balogun Stadium to go and seat on their states designated seating areas. Not unexpectedly, Lagos state delegates were the first to come in.
6:12 pm – 6:20 pm: Aspirant, Sam Nda-Isaiah denies stepping down says- “It is a lie, I remain very much in the race,” he said.
The Master of Ceremony, Hon. Abike Dabiri, calls on all delegates to come into the stadium and take their seats as proceedings are about to commence, the convention proper is expected to start by 9pm.
6:50 – 7:51 pm – The announcer, one-time crooner, Tony One Week, says that the event would now start at 8:00 pm.
Comedian Seyi Law steps on stage as the first entertainer of the night.
Gongo Aso exponent, 9ice thrills the audience at Teslim Balogun with ‘No be mistake’. Dignitaries continue to file into the Stadium as Lagos state governor, Babatunde Fashola arrives.
