APC govs, NWC, others divided over choice of presidential candidate

Governors who are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), its National Working Committee (NWC), its national caucus and other stakeholders of the party are divided over who becomes the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 polls.

Sources at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja told Daily Trust Wednesday that the NWC, governors and other stakeholders were equally divided over the mode of nominating the party’s candidate.

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The APC constitution provides that the party shall nominate its candidates through direct primary, indirect primary or consensus. But it was gathered that many stakeholders were against consensus on the ground that it might not favour their interest.

It was learnt that party leaders and power brokers were in a tight corner sequel to the tactical jettisoning of zoning within the party and the surge in the number of aspirants.

Sources in the APC said some governors and NWC members were in support of its National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; while some were rooting for a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, while others were backing Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President, Ahmad Lawan. 

The APC governors had met at the Kebbi State Govenor’s Lodge in Abuja on Monday night but refused to brief newsmen at the end of their meeting.

Concerns as NWC fails to screen aspirants 4 days to convention

Meanwhile, there are concerns as the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led NWC has failed to constitute a committee to screen the party’s presidential aspirants four days to the national convention.

The convention of the party is slated for Sunday and Monday when delegates will pick the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general elections.

There is anxiety as many party bigwigs and aspirants are left in the dark. The screening was earlier slated for last Monday, but the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barr Felix Morka, in a statement on Sunday, announced the postponement of the exercise indefinitely.

However, the party’s National Chairman said the top echelon of APC would scrutinise all the presidential aspirants on the party’s platform and pick the right candidate for the 2023 poll.  

In an interview with newsmen yesterday in Abuja, Adamu said zoning was never an issue, adding that the party would first screen its aspirants before it would know the way forward.  

He said there were many aspirants in the race for the party’s apex ticket, adding that God would guide the party’s decision-makers to do the right thing. He, however, did not state when the screening would be done. 

“You can’t stop our party stalwarts from contesting election or aspiring for the presidency. It is their right and we are happy for them.  We have 28 aspirants for the presidential ticket and everybody knows that all of them cannot get the ticket. Ours is to ensure justice in the choice of who emerges as the candidate of the party,” he said.