Buhari, APC Northern Governors In Final Meeting On Consensus Candidate

President Muhammadu Buhari has summoned an emergency meeting with governors from the 15 All Progressive Congress controlled states to take a final decision on the party’s quest to arrive at a consensus candidate.

The party holds its extraordinary elective National Convention on Tuesday.

With less than 24 hours to go, moves are being ramped up to ensure the party arrives at a consensus.

The president has in the last seven days met three times with the APC governors already without arriving at a consensus.

Also, 11 governors on the platform of the party met on Saturday where they advised the president to zone the party’s ticket to the South.

The 10 Northern APC governors that signed the statement are those of Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Nasarawa, Zamfara, Gombe, Borno, Plateau and Kebbi.

The communique from the governors read in part: “After careful deliberation, we wish to state our firm conviction that after eight years in office of President Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the APC for the 2023 elections should be one of our teeming members from the southern states of Nigeria.

“It is a question of honour for the APC, an obligation that is not in anyway affected by the decisions taken by another political party. We affirm that upholding this principle is in the interest of building a stronger, more united and more progressive country.

“We therefore wish to strongly recommend to President Muhammadu Buhari that the search for a successor as the APC’s presidential candidate be limited to our compatriots from the southern states. We appeal to all aspirants from the northern states to withdraw in the national interest and allow only the aspirants from the south to proceed to the primaries.

“We are delighted by the decision of our esteemed colleague, His Excellency, Governor Abubakar Badaru to contribute to this patriotic quest by withdrawing his presidential aspiration.”

However, two aspirants from the Northern part of the country have remained adamant. While the Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru, one of the aspirants withdrew from the race, others like Senate President, Ahmad Lawan and Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, have refused.

However, the governors of the North are divided over their choice of presidential candidate. Governors like Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje of Kano State, as well as Katsina, Gombe and Zamfara Governors are strong supporters and mobilisers for Tinubu.

While Nasarawa and Plateau State governors support Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation respectively.

It’s gathered that the President’s meeting will be to ensure the governors at least support his candidate since it has become difficult to arrive at a consensus.

While the governors have opted for a southern Presidential candidate, the president’s choice still remains unknown especially as he refuted reports that he has decided that the party zones its ticket to the South.