There is fear of possible crisis in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as controversy is raging among top party leaders over which zone produces the party’s 2023 presidential candidate.
Scheming for the 2023 presidency was ignited recently sequel to the defection of Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC and the meeting of some top echelon of the party with former President Goodluck Jonathan.
A former governor of Lagos State and current Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola; former governor of Rivers State and current Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and a former governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba, have argued that there was a gentleman agreement in the APC that the party’s ticket would go to the South at the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure in 2023.
But a former governor of Zamfara State, Ahmed Sani Yerima, former governor of Kano State, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau have dispelled the claim, saying there was no such agreement.
Our correspondent reports that party members have expressed fears that the disagreement among key players in the APC on zoning would spark fresh crisis in the party ahead of the coming convention.
A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democragic Party (PDP) who is now a stalwart of the APC, Barrister Abdullahi Jalo, in a telephone chat with our correspondent yesterday suggested that the APC national leadership should throw open the party’s presidential ticket.
“It is not about zoning. The issue is about the party in power fielding a credible candidate that will succeed President Buhari.
“Buhari is from the North and the Northerners have made up their minds to assess whether they have gotten what they wanted during the Buhari administration so that the next person that will come in will add to what Buhari has done.
“And if much is not done, what is the fate of the Northerners? And who are they going to support to get what they want? And the North has the larger votes.
“The party’s national leadership must look at it, not an issue of zoning, just like Mamman Daura had said in his own personal opinion which we are in support of.
“We look at him as somebody who can help APC to deliver without looking at where he comes from. We are looking for who will give the party victory,”Jalo said.
Impeccable sources told Daily Trust, on Thursday, that the 2023 zoning formula would be made known and ratified at the party’s national convention likely to hold not later than June, 2021.
Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, neither received his call nor responded to text messages sent to his phone for comments.
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