Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, has disclosed that a consensus candidate that will fly the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election may emerge today.
Umahi, who is also a presidential aspirant on the platform of the ruling party, disclosed this while speaking on a Channels television programme on Monday morning.
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The APC will hold its convention to elect a presidential candidate on Tuesday in Abuja but President Muhammadu Buhari is said to be rooting for a consensus candidate.
Though aspirants have been holding several meetings to choose a consensus candidate, those meetings have not been yielding any results.
Umahi said, “Well, I see within the next 12 hours and 24 hours that God manifesting himself and a consensus candidate emerge in a very peaceful process and the process that is acceptable to all the aspirants or at least, most of the aspirants.
“Nobody is bigger than the party and we must abide by the rule of the party and that is consensus building and respect for the leadership of the party and Nigerians.”
He said the northern governors had done well to push for the zoning of the position to the South in the spirit of equity and fairness.
Umahi, therefore, called on aspirants from the southern region to allow the southeast to have it in the same spirit of equity and fairness.
He expressed disappointment that his detractors were always running to the media to falsely report that he had stepped down.
The Ebonyi State governor claimed he’s the candidate to beat, saying it was the reason his opponents always run to spread fake news that he’s withdrawn from the race.
“This is the third time that the media has been reporting that I have stepped down and that shows some people are frightened by my candidacy,” Umahi said.
He dismissed the insinuation that some aspirants are more qualified than others, saying the party didn’t set any criteria for aspirants.
The governor said one’s investment in the party would not automatically make one the preferred candidate, calling on the party to hunt for a sellable candidate.
“The party didn’t set any criteria for aspirants. So, I’m surprised when people say one person is a super candidate.
“Nigerians will not be asking how much money you have but how much you have done for the country,” he said.
