Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari revealed on Monday he would rather delegates decide the presidential candidate to fly the All Progressives Congress flag during the 2023 elections.
Buhari declared before the party’s 14 northern governors that he has “no preferred candidate,” and has “anointed no one,” and is determined to ensure that “there shall be no imposition of any candidate on the party.”
This is against the backdrop of earlier reports of APC Chairman Abdullahi Adamu endorsing Senate President Ahmed Lawan as the party’s consensus candidate.
Adamu made the announcement at a meeting of National Working Committee (NWC) on Monday in Abuja.
But speaking at a meeting with the governors at the State House, Abuja, Buhari said:
“You were elected as I was, have a clear mind as I have. God gave us the chance; we have no reason to complain.
“We must be ready to take pain as we take the joy. Allow the delegates to decide. The party must participate, nobody will appoint anybody,” Buhari said according to a statement signed by media aide Garba Shehu.
Earlier in their addresses, the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum, Governor Simon Bako Lalong and Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of the Progressive Governors Forum, said they had come to affirm the position of the northern governors that the party’s candidate in the presidential election shall come from the southern part of the country.
The governors rejected the choice of Lawan as the consensus presidential candidate of the party.
Lalong, said the president agreed with their position and maintained that the presidential candidate must emerge through a transparent process.
He said 13 of them apologised to the president for receiving the information about their position after it was leaked.
With the President’s syand now known, aspirants including party leader Bola Tinubu; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Ekiti Governor and Governors’ Chairman Kayode Fayemi; Ebonyi Governor David Umahi; former ministers Rotimi Amaechi and Emeka Nwajuiba among others, will be allowed to contest the primary at the convention holding at the Eagle Square, Abuja.
Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello was not part of the northern governors’ agreement as his signature was not on the statement.
The third northern aspirant, Jigawa Governor Abubakar Badaru, had earlier quit the race in deference to the governors’ position.
Demola Ojo
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