APC Governors Will Advise Buhari Against Anointing Candidate– Source

The Progressive Governors’ Forum will formally advise President Muhammadu Buhari to allow all the aspirants who have purchased forms and have been screened by the party to participate at the special convention where the party will choose its presidential candidate, THE WHISTLER can report. 

The governors who will meet on Thursday evening will make the final decision after two previous meetings ended in  dead lock, a source close to the PGF  told our correspondent. 

The source said the governors have been divided into two groups—those of them who’re  aspirants and those whose loyalty lie with those who are not governors. 

Governors who are aspirants are David Umahi of  Ebonyi State,  Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Ben Ayade of Cross River, Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State and Yahaya Bello of Kogi State. 

The governors have been unable to reach a consensus on any of the aspirants due largely to the fact that some of them are contesting the same election while others had pledged their loyalties to other aspirants.

It was revealed that the governors came to the decision that it was best to allow everyone go into the filed to test their popularity. 

The governors have been meeting after President Muhammadu Buhari  solicited their support for his unnamed candidate on Tuesday.

The president had said, “In keeping with the established internal policies of the Party and as we approach the Convention in a few days, therefore, I wish to solicit the reciprocity and support of the Governors and other stakeholders in picking my successor, who would fly the flag of our party for election into the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.”

The latest speech of the president is consistent with his January position that he had a preferred candidate for president but that he would not reveal his name. 

Many party bigwigs had reacted to the president’s latest remarks about his successor, with the popular view being for the president to allow level playing field for aspirants. 

A state party chairman whose governor is also an aspirant told THE WHISTLER that “All the governors, who are aspirants, are making case for themselves and those who support their political mentors spoke for all to seek the party’s ticket at the election.”

He explained that the best thing to do judging from people’s reaction is for the president to allow everybody to contest “otherwise it will brew revolt and could widen the division and ultimately lead to defeat of the party in 2023.” 

Presidential aspirants of the party include Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, Bola Tinubu, Rochas Okorocha,  Rotimi Amaechi, Godswill  Akpabio,  Ogbonnaya Onu and Ibikunle Amosun, among others.