Abuja is agog as no fewer than 2,322 delegates from 36 states and the FCT have converged at the city to elect a flagbearer for the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the 2023 general elections.

The party’s special national convention has been scheduled for June 6 to 8 at the Eagles Square, Abuja.

Twenty-three aspirants are jostling to clinch the coveted position, although efforts are on by the party, led by President Muhammadu Buhari, to come up with a likely consensus candidate.

In North West, a state-by-state analysis of the delegates shows that Kano has 132; Kaduna, 69; Katsina, 102; Kebbi, 63; Jigawa, 81; Sokoto, 69, while Zamfara has 42.

In North East, Taraba has 48; Bauchi, 60; Adamawa, 63; Gombe, 33; Borno, 81, while Yobe has 51 delegates.

Similarly, in South East, Abia has 51 delegates, Anambra, 63; Ebonyi, 39; Enugu, 51 and Imo, 81.

In South West, Lagos has 60; Ogun, 60; Ondo, 54; Ekiti, 48; Oyo, 99 and Osun, 90.

In South-South, Akwa Ibom has 93; Cross River, 54; Bayelsa, 24; Delta, 75; Rivers, 69 and Edo 57.

In North Central, Kwara has 48; Kogi, 63; Niger, 75; Nasarawa, 39; Plateau, 51; Benue, 66, while FCT has 18.

The Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, Gov. Abubakar Atiku of Kebbi State, who is also the Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, has promised a hitch-free exercise.

While all major hotels in the city and its environs had been fully booked, there had been a spike in vehicular traffic.

The FCT Police command had also announced traffic diversions, affecting many routes leading to Eagle Square, the venue of the epoch event.

The spokesperson for the command, DSP Josephine Adeh, said in a statement that it had also mapped out an operational order.

This, she said, was to allow maximum deployment of human and material resources for the success of the convention.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly received the names of five aspirants for his consideration as the consensus presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of today’s national convention.

The names were said to have been submitted to him by governors elected under the party from the North.

Those that made the shortlist are said to be Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, president of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi and Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State.

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The governors had approached the president on Monday to canvass for his support for a southern candidate.

Their meeting with the president came against the background of the announcement by the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Adamu Abdulahi, that he (President Buhari) had endorsed Lawan as the consensus candidate.

The Presidency denied it, saying that Buhari wanted the delegates to decide.