Some major stakeholders in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are considering fielding a Northern presidential candidate in order to checkmate the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the 2023 presidential election, Daily Independent has gathered.
Even though the PDP has thrown its presidential ticket open, the body language of the party leaders suggest they prefer a Northern presidential candidate, a move some Southern leaders, led by Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has vehemently opposed.
However, insider sources in the party claimed that Wike, who is completing his second term as governor, is not really keen about becoming the party’s flagbearer but only using it to negotiate becoming the PDP’s vice presidential candidate.
On the part of the APC, there are strong indications that its leaders might zone the ticket to the South since the National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, is from the North.
Nevertheless, some stakeholders in the party are pushing for an open contest where all the aspirants will participate.
At the forefront of those agitating for the ticket to be thrown open is Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, who has also declared his desire to contest the 2023 presidential election on APC’s platform.
In the Southern part of the country, aspirants who have so far signified interest to run on APC platform include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Kogi State counterpart, Yahaya Bello.
Others are Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation; Kayode Fayemi, Ekiti State governor; Rochas Okorocha, former Imo State governor, and Orji Uzor Kalu, former Abia State governor.
Godwin Emefiele, the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Senator Ibikunle Amosun, former Ogun State governor are also rumoured to be interested in running on the platform of the APC but they are yet to open up on whether they will also join the race.
A credible source in APC said the likelihood that the APC might throw the ticket open like the PDP did is very high.
He also said the party leaders are keeping a close watch on the PDP and may field a Northern presidential candidate if the opposition party picks its flagbearer from the North. He said, “From the look of things, the APC might field a Northern candidate to checkmate PDP because that seems the direction PDP is going despite throwing their ticket open.
“Right now, two names are popping up, Ahmad Lawan, the Senate President, and Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger State.
Both men are still silent on whether they will contest or not but let’s see what happens after the conclusion of the Ramadan fasting exercise.
“The APC governors who made Governor Sani-Bello the interim Chairman of the party when Buni went on medical leave are the ones backing the Niger governor while Lawan is being propped up by North-East sentiments.
“The plot for a Northern presidential candidate for APC might succeed because that is why Abdullahi Adamu was made the national chairman.
For those of us who know Adamu very well, he is not exactly a Southern president sympathiser.
Rather, he is a Northern irredentist, who places the interest of the North above anything else. “He (Adamu) does not believe in zoning.
He believes that politics is all about negotiation and compromise as it was before in the days of NCNC, AG, NPC and so on.
Let’s just wait and see, the picture will be clearer in two, three weeks from now”, he said. (Daily Independent: Excludes headline)
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