The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Adamu’s claim that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is the party’s consensus candidate has stirred the hornet’s nest.
Adamu’s comment, insiders said, has caused a hoopla and members of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC, are divided and some are threatening to split the party to what it was before the merger.
Senator Adamu had announced Senate Lawan as APC consensus presidential candidate.
Adamu, announced this at the meeting of the NWC, on Monday, in Abuja.
However, some members of the NWC, are kicking against the move and insisted that other presidential aspirants must be allowed to contest the primary election at tomorrow’s convention scheduled at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
APC National Youth Leader, Dayo Isreal wrote on twitter, “Earlier today, during the NWC meeting, the National Chairman informed us that after the consultations hosted by the President, he is instructed to inform us that Ahmed LAWAN is the preferred choice. We were only informed, it wasn’t deliberated upon. Neither was our opinion sought”.
He continued, “The issue at stake is not about consensus but about Federal Character. Let’s not mix issues. What is at stake is should power be retained in the North or move to the South. The Northern Governors with the President have supported the Southern agenda, the NWC members support this”.
Another member of the NWC who does not want his name in print tells NewsWireNGR, “why is the President telling Adamu one thing and telling us another? let him look at us and tell us where he stands, until then we are matching to Eagle Square”.
“If the National Chairman wants us to destroy the foundations of this union, he should insist and force Lawan on us”, he added.
The National Organising Secretary of the APC, Sulaiman Argungu, says it will align with the position of governors on power shift to the south.
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In the meantime, the northern governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have insisted that they would back a southerner to emerge as the presidential candidate of the ruling party in the 2023 general elections.
Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, stated this on Monday while briefing State House correspondents in Abuja.
The governors, 13 of them, made their position known following their meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Governor Lalong, in his briefing, clarified that the leaked memo that went viral last Saturday was the true position of the northern governors and they came to officially consult with the President.
According to the governor, President Buhari has not anointed any of the 23 aspirants expected to participate in the party’s primary as the flagbearer of the APC.
Rather, he explained that the President asked the governors to have a meeting with the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to resolve the issue of a consensus candidate through democratic means.
Governor Lalong stated that the decision of the governors to return power to the South was to ensure equity, peace, and unity in the country.
Other governors who attended the meeting include Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano, Aminu Masari of Katsina, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, and Abubakar Bello of Niger.
Also present were Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Babagana Zulum of Borno, Simon Lalong of Plateau, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe.
Other aspirants that are still on in the race are Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Engr. David Umahi, Yahaya Bello, and others.
